New Beginnings
by KleopatraVII
Summary: Regina's plan didn't go as well as she had hoped. Henry ended up in the Land Without Magic. Everyone he knew and loved was returned to the Enchanted Forest. He was alone. Set after Pan's curse but Rumple never had the chance to find his son. Details inside the story.
1. Chapter 1

**New Beginnings: Chapter One**

 **Author's Note: I know I probably shouldn't be putting out another story, considering that I have yet to finish the other ones but this idea will not leave me alone. I'm thinking that this will just be a one-shot. Please let me know if you think I should continue. So, here is a little bit of background information:**

 **Cora and Hook never made it to the Land Without Magic. Greg Mendel, however, did manage to find Storybrook, bringing Tamara with him. Rumpelstiltskin, Emma, and Henry didn't go to Manhattan looking for Baelfire. Before Rumpelstiltskin could call in his favor, Greg and Tamara kidnapped Henry, taking him to Neverland. The Neverland Arc occurred roughly the same way, except Rumple doesn't know that Henry is his grandson and was just helping him because he believes that Emma will not help him if he were to let Henry disappear and/or get killed.**

 **Pan still made it to Storybrook and casted his curse. Rumple still stopped him but didn't kill himself in the process. Regina managed to counteract her curse, sending all of the occupants of Storybrook back to the Enchanted Forest. All but one. And that is where this story picks up. So far, I really don't have a ship I am going for in this story, other than Rumbelle and Snowing. I hope you enjoy. Let me know you thoughts in the comment section.**

Henry couldn't remember the last time he had felt this alone. Sure, he had little spells of loneliness while he was growing up, considering that he was an only child. He thought he was alone for the majority of a year, right before he found out about the curse. He thought he knew what loneliness was, having been given up for adoption and growing up as the only child to age in all of Storybrook.

It was nothing compared to the loneliness he was feeling at the current moment. Henry felt as though someone had reached inside of him and ripped out his heart, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. Literally, in the blink of an eye, everyone he ever cared about was gone, taken back to their world just as was intended when the curse broke. Henry just always imaged going with them and being able to see the world he had only read about in his Storybook.

He never imagined, however, that he would be sitting in the middle of a social care office in New York City, waiting for the social workers to decide if he needed to go to foster care or if they should try to see if anyone would adopt him. People whispered as they walked around, continuing their work. None of them paid Henry any attention.

None of them noticed the tears that cascaded down the young boy's face, landing without a sound on the cover of an old leather book. Henry sniffed, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve, frustrated for letting himself cry in front of people he didn't even know. He had already spent a year bouncing to different houses, each worse than the one before. He was slowly beginning to lose hope of anyone coming to get him and take him home.

"-never seen a case like this one before," he heard a woman say, her voice slowly voice slowly becoming louder as she walked down the hall, heading in Henry's direction.

"And you are absolutely sure he has no record," the man that was accompanying her stated.

"Oh, he has a record. Not the kind you're thinking of. We have his birth certificate, showing where he was born but his mother and father aren't listed. It's as if he was born out of thin air."

"No records at all?" the man asked as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his dress pants.

The woman, a pretty red head wearing a gray pinstriped suit and a light pink blouse, shook her head. "None. His records say that his birth mother gave him up for adoption but we don't have anything on his adopted mother, just that she was supposed to be the mayor of a town that doesn't even exist."

The two stopped just about ten feet from Henry and he knew they were talking about him. The man frowned and ran a hand through his dark hair. He wasn't the type of person Henry expected to be walking around in a government facility. Sure, he was wearing the right attire of a business suit and nice bottom down white shirt, but his jacket was tucked under his arm and his tie was hanging loose around his neck. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows in a hurried mess, as if he was worried that people might actually take him seriously because he was dressed so nicely. Henry couldn't see his face, since his head was turned while talking to the red-headed woman.

"So why not call this in?" he questioned. "Why call me?"

The woman pressed her lips. "I don't want this kid to end up in the system," she said so quietly that Henry almost didn't hear her. "He's been through enough, it seems. Our main theory is that he was abandoned."

"Wasn't he found in the woods in Maine?" the man asked as he leaned against the wall.

The woman nodded. "We are thinking that whoever left him, dropped him off in the woods. We are not sure why they did so but. . ."

"What?" the man asked as she trailed off.

She bit her lip. "When we asked him why he was in the forest, he said that the town was taken back to where it came from and he couldn't go because he was born here."

The man frowned and stole a glance over at Henry, who quickly looked down, not wanting the two to move their conversation elsewhere. He bit his lip, mentally berating himself for letting that slip when the police had found him. He was still in shock when they had found him.

Henry heard the man sigh and dared to look back over. Luckily he had turned his attention back to the woman.

"But why me?" the man asked. "I'm pretty sure there are other people out there who could take him in. Why me?"

The woman cracked a smile. "Because you can relate to him. You've been left behind by a parent and you know all of the emotions that he must be going though. I think it will help him, and you, if there is someone with shared experiences to talk to."

Ok, now Henry's curiosity was peaked.

The man sighed again, heavily this time. The woman smiled before continuing. "Plus, you have one of the most thorough Master's Degrees in Childhood Psychology, Sociology, and Psychotherapy than anyone else in this building, as well as personal experience to draw from."

"What about his birth father?"

The woman pressed her lips before she shook her head. "Since we don't have anything on his birthmother, we have very little in way to contact his father."

"He was a fireman," Henry replied before he could stop himself.

The pair turned their attention to Henry and he got his first good look at the man. He was very scruffy looking but not in a bad way. His hair was messy and his face had stubble but it just gave him an overall warm appearance. His eyes were a dark, earthy brown that reminded Henry of someone, but he just couldn't place his finger on who. The man grinned suddenly, easy-going and open.

"You know, it's rude to eavesdrop," he said as he made his way over to Henry, the red-head right on his heels.

"It's also rude to talk about people when they can clearly hear you," Henry replied with just as much sass.

The man's grin got even larger, if possible. He held his hand out for Henry to take. "Name's Neal Cassidy. What's yours?"

Henry took the man's hand and gave it a shake. "Henry Mills."

"Nice to meet you, Henry," Neal answered. He glanced back at the woman and motioned her forward. "This is Julia, my coworker. She is also your social worker."

"Hello, Henry," she replied as she shook Henry's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Henry gave them both a small smile. "So," he began. "Do you always talk about your charges where they can hear you? Or am I just a special case?"

Neal laughed out right as Julia shook her head in amusement. Neal recovered quickly. "Nope just you kid. Of course, the whole thing was planned for you to hear anyways."

Henry blinked in shock. "What?"

Julia pointed to Neal. "It was his idea."

Neal shrugged. "I figured that if you heard what we were discussing, you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not we were actually talking about you. I know I used to always worry about people talking bad about me. Figure if you heard us trying to do something for you instead of just gossiping, you might open up a little more.

Henry grinned in spite of himself. He was really starting to like this guy. He had an air about him that said he didn't care what other's thought and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

"So," Neal commented, drawing the 'o' out for a moment. "What was that about your dad?"

Henry smiled a little. "He was a firefighter. My mom—birth mom—said the two of them meet when she worked as a waitress in Phoenix, Arizona. He died while saving a family from a burning building."

"Well, crap," Neal muttered. "That's a dead end." He then pulled a face. "Inappropriate pun _not_ intended."

Henry just shrugged. "It's ok. I'm at peace with it." He paused for a moment. "Are you my social worker too?"

Neal looked a little thrown by the question before he shook his head.

Henry frowned. "Then why are you asking Julia about my case?"

Neal gave Henry a sheepish look. "That's something we should actually talk about in Julia's office."

Henry frowned again but followed the two adults nonetheless. They walked a little bit before taking the elevator up to the top floor. As the doors slide open, Henry gapped at the size of the room.

"I thought you said office! Not floor!" he cried as he walked out of the elevator.

Julia's 'office' literally took up the whole top floor of the building, giving the social worker a panoramic view of the New York skyline. The desk in the middle of the room had a very modern feel of white wood and different curves and lines. Julia simple laughed.

"Being the owner of this agency certainly has its perks," she replied as she took a seat behind the desk and motioned for Neal and Henry to sit in the chairs in front of her. Henry happily obliged.

"Now," Julia began as she rested her elbows on the desk and placed her chin atop her laced fingers. "The reason I have informed Neal of your case is because of two things. One," she held up a finger, "is because of the similarities between your case and Neal's past."

Henry gave the woman a questioning look. He looked over at Neal, whose face was scrunched up in discomfort. Neal turned slightly, facing Henry while still looking at Julia.

"My father abandoned me," Neal replied softly.

"My mom didn't abandon me," Henry argued fiercely.

Henry expected Neal to look at least a little annoyed at being interrupted but, as Henry searched Neal's face, the only emotion he picked up on was apathy.

"I'm not saying she left you because she wanted to. Things happen, even when we don't want them too," Neal explained calmly. "She may not have wanted to leave you but she still did."

Henry's anger deflated quickly. "Did your father abandon you because he wanted to?"

Neal shook his head. "No. I basically gave him an ultimatum and he left me in a forest. He just let me go. And it wasn't because he wanted to. He got too attached to the power he had just received and didn't want to let it go."

"Did you ever try to get back to him?" Henry asked quietly. Something about Neal's story sounded extremely familiar.

"Of course," he replied shortly. He quickly motioned to Julia for her to continue.

Julia held up a second finger. "The second reason is because of a proposal we have for you."

Henry frowned. "What kind of proposal?"

"One that will get you out of the foster system," Neal answered.

Henry perked up instantly. "I'm all ears."

Neal took a deep breath. "How would you feel if I told you I wanted to adopt you?"

Henry blinked, really not expect that. "I would say 'why me'?"

Neal grinned. "Because you reminded me a lot about myself, especially how similar our situations are. We," he gestured between himself and Julia, "believe that if I were to adopt you, then we could help each other. I'm sure you heard that from the hallway. Another thing is that I have three different Master's Degrees that I am really don't have anything to do with," he replied in a teasing tone. "All jokes aside, I want to help you because I know how it is to be alone in a strange, new place without a parent or familiar person around. And I've always wanted a family."

Henry blinked, tears suddenly coming to his eyes. For the past year, all of the foster homes he had been too had treated him as if he was just a part of a big group, a child that would eventually get passed into another family for them to deal with. It had been over a year since someone had outright said they wanted him to be a part of a family.

"Of course, the entire thing is up to you," Neal said softly.

"Isn't this kind of sudden?" Henry asked as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Don't you want to think about this more?"

"Nah," Neal said with a wave. "I'm all about split second decisions." His grin told Henry that wasn't the case. "I've actually been thinking about this for a while now, ever since Julia got your case about six months ago."

Henry blinked. "That long?"

Neal nodded. "It's taken that long to get all of the paperwork set up. We went ahead and got everything ready, just in case you said yes. That way we could get you out of the system as soon as possible. But, again, it is entirely your choice."

Henry sat there stunned for a moment. The tears were falling freely now. Neal frowned and reached over, gently wiping them away. Henry leaned his head over into his hand almost subconsciously. He quickly nodded.

"Yes," Henry replied quietly. "I'd like to come live with you."

Neal grinned brightly. "Great. You are going to love your room, by the way."

Henry gave a watery laugh. "You weren't even sure I would say yes and you already had a room ready?"

Neal nodded. "Again, I've been where you are now. I would have loved to have had someone take me in." He smiled sadly for a moment. "Well, I would have loved for someone to have taken me in again."

"Again?" Henry echoed.

Neal gave him a sad smile. "A family took me in for a few months. Something happened and we got separated."

Henry frowned. "Did you try to find them again?"

Neal nodded. "I did. But it was too late. They had already passed on."

Henry flinched. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad subject."

Neal simply shook his head. "It's okay. You didn't know."

Henry just smiled. "So. What do I call you?"

Neal grinned. "You can call me anything you like. As long as it isn't anything hurtful," he added the last part with a grin.

Henry returned it easily. Maybe things were looking up.

 **The idea of Neal becoming a social worker has always been a headcannon for me. I've always liked the idea of him using his own experience to help others, especially if that other person in Henry. And one last note, Neal does not know that Henry is his son. The last time he saw Emma was before Henry was born. Please Read and Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**New Beginnings: Chapter Two**

 **Author's Note: I am really surprised and overjoyed at the response this story is getting.**

 **Onceuponlover: Thank you for being my first review for this story. Here are some imaginary cookies (::) (::). I really hope that you will enjoy this story since I am deciding to continue it.**

 **riml: Thank you! I figure it was a little different from other fanfictions that I have read. Neal and Henry never got the time they needed together; the time they really should have had. So, I guess you could say this is my way of making up for that. I am also working on the next chapter for To Have and To Hold, so don't worry. I have not abandoned it. I just don't know when I will have it up and ready to post.**

 **Rainbow2.0 and : Your wish is my command!** **. Please enjoy!**

 **DSBJellyDonuts: I was so excited to see that you have reviewed my story! I absolutely love your Swanfire stories, especially This Unfamiliar Road. I am so glad you like it! Right now, I have no plans for pairings. The focus of the story so far is just Henry and Neal but the people of the Enchanted Forest will more than likely make an appearance. I've always been a Swanfire fan anyways.** **. I've got another OUaT story on my profile if you want to check it out. It is a Swanfire fic and I am working on the third chapter as well as this one. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **I've always enjoyed the idea of Neal raising Henry at some point or another. I've also toyed with the idea of Henry begin adopted by Neal at an earlier age. I'm thinking about making it into a one-shot or a series of one-shots. Let me know what you think! As for the postcard, that will actually be covered in this chapter. I like August as a character but I feel that Neal got all of the bad rep for something that August played a very heavy role in. All of that drama will be covered next chapter.**

 **One last note, Henry is twelve going on thirteen when this story takes place. He found Emma when he was ten. I'm giving it about a year to break the curse and for Pan to take out his plan. So, by the time Henry ends up in the foster system, he is eleven going on twelve. Neal hasn't seen Emma in thirteen years, considering that she only found out she was pregnant while in jail. As for Neal's age, for the sake of this story, he was eighteen when he meet Emma. She was sixteen when she stole the stolen car. I will post a Timeline at the end of this chapter.**

 **On with the show!**

Henry couldn't help but gap as the car he was in pulled up in front of an old Victorian style townhouse in the middle of Manhattan. The exterior of the building was a rich rustic red with white arches and bay windows. The three story townhouse was old, with its chipped and faded bricks, nestled in between a little bake shop and Italian restaurant but Henry could tell that the place was well cared for.

"This is where you live?" Henry asked, his jaw almost touching the ground. "How much do social workers make?"

Neal laughed outright. "Not much. Technically, I'm not a social worker. I work with Julia as a counselor and therapist for children who have been through a lot. I only do that part time."

"How do you afford this place when you only work as a counselor part time?" Henry asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I work mainly from home. My full time job allows me to be flexible with my own hours." Neal shrugged. "If I wanted to, I would just volunteer to be a counselor but there is too much client confidentiality to just let any older person have the job."

"What's your full time job?" Henry asked as he pulled his very light duffle bag out of the car.

Neal gave the bag an offending look before taking it from Henry and slinging it over his shoulder. "First order of business: clothes shopping. I'll show you my study as I give you a tour of the house. It's pretty big, especially for being just me but I've always wanted an old house to live in. I can't really picture myself living in a modern apartment, really. I like antiques." He suddenly gave a grin, as if he had just told a very clever joke that went right over Henry's head.

"So," Henry said as he followed Neal up the stairs. "How long have you been a counselor for?"

Neal gave Henry a small smile as he slid the key into the lock, setting the tumblers off with a quick flick of his wrist. He paused at the door to think for a moment. "For about five years now, give or take. It took me about six years to get my triple Master's."

Henry's jaw dropped again. "Doesn't it take six years to get _one_ Master's Degree?"

Neal grinned and pushed the door open. "I'm just naturally gifted."

All thoughts of further interrogation disappeared from Henry's mind as he walked into his new home. "Wow," he whispered, causing Neal to grin.

The interior of the house was just as antique looking as the exterior. As they walked into the foyer, Henry could help but marvel as the different items that sat around. He spotted an antique phone and a typewriter sitting on an old mahogany desk. The desk was nestled in an alcove under the stairs with an old Tiffany lamp giving it some light. Hand-sketched drawings littered the walls, some depicting old castles that look like they were taken from his Storybook while others were colorful paint strokes of emerald and jade grass fields, contrasting with a blood red sky.

"Told you I like antiques," Neal replied and pointed to a large doorway to their left. "That's the living room. It has a TV, Blu-Ray player, and even an X-Box system. I figures you would like that."

Henry looked over at Neal with wonder-filled eyes. "Are you saying you bought it because you knew I was coming?"

Neal shrugged. "Yea. Figured you'd like something to do during the day while I lock myself in my workshop. Especially since I haven't had a chance to enroll you in school yet. They school need the legal documents to begin the process." He pointed to a small door in the hallway. "That's the half bath. The regular bathrooms are upstairs." He motioned for Henry to follow him. "The kitchen and dining room are in the back of the house. You can get to the backyard through the dining room but it isn't very big."

Henry quickly found himself in a very up-to-date kitchen decked out with stainless steel appliances and dark gray granite counter tops.

"The only thing I will not get antiques of is appliances," Neal chuckled and pointed to the dining room attached to the kitchen. "The dining room isn't very big, just enough to seat about six people comfortably but it works."

"You don't through extravagant parties, do you?" Henry asked teasingly, prompting Neal to snicker.

"You found me out," he replied. "I hold big parties here for my major celebrity friends."

Neal shook his head and lead Henry to the door that opened up to the small back yard. He really wasn't kidding about it being small. Neal tapped Henry on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Still more house to see," he said as he jerked his thumb behind him. "I know you can't wait to see your room."

Henry grinned and eagerly followed Neal back to the front of the house. The pair ascended the stairs and quickly made their way to the top.

"There are three bedrooms on this floor," Neal explained before pointing to the door on the right at the back of the hall. "My room is the master suite and has an adjoining bathroom. The other two rooms share a connected bathroom." He gesture to the two doors on the right. "The first room on the left has been converted into a small library. I was going to use the basement instead but it tends to get very wet down there. Books and moisture do _not_ mix."

Neal walked past the first door and gently opened the second door. "This is your room."

Henry peered in and had to keep his jaw from dropping a third time today. The room was painted a soft blue with a white ceiling. Soft beige carpet trailed in from the hallway and continued to the door on the left side of the room. Sliding doors made of a light wood hide the closet from view. A double bed was placed in the center of the wall opposite of the closet and bathroom. A desk sat underneath a big window that overlooked the small backyard. A chest of drawers of the same wood as the bed and desk sat beside a bookshelf _full_ of different comic books.

"I thought you might like comic books. It's a collection that I have been accumulating for a while now. It's a wide range from _Iron Man_ and _Captain America_ to _Superman_ and _Batman_ , so I hope you like it," Neal said as he leaned against the door frame, watching Henry take in all of the books.

"This is so cool!" Henry shouted and made a run for the bookshelf. Neal laughed good-naturedly.

"Hold up, buddy," Neal said as he grabbed ahold of the back of Henry's shirt, stopping him mid-step. "Let's see the rest of the house and maybe gets some dinner _before_ you drowned yourself in comic, yes?"

Henry pouted playfully before giving Neal a grin. "Sure."

"Great," Neal replied as he led his newly adopted son out of the room and up the last set of stairs.

Henry really couldn't keep his mouth from dropping this time. The room took up the whole floor with big stain glass windows letting in the light of the setting sun, casting a red, warm glow across the room. Sitting against the far wall in the right hand corner was a large wooden loom. To the left of the loom was a couple of bookshelves full of baskets of threads that ranged from cotton to silk. On the right wall was a desk that was covered in different little pots and jars. Directly next to that was three wardrobes full of different types and colors of fabrics. On the wall opposite of that was another desk, this one covered in different drawings and sketches of men's and women's appeal. The desk was closer to the loom than the other desk was. Directly beside the desk was a size adjustable sowing mannequin with a tape measurer draped across the top of the neck and little pins covering the shoulders. Nestled in the left corner, closest to the stairs was an old spinner's wheel.

"You make fabric?" Henry asked.

"Yep. And clothing. I have a partner who owns a clothing line. Top of the line. Ever heard of Austin Connors?"

Henry turned his head so fast he almost got whiplash. "Of course! The fairytale clothing line he has out is extremely popular."

Neal grinned. "What if I told you that you are living under the same roof as the man behind the design of Austin Connors?"

"No way?!" Henry gasped and quickly ran over to the drawings, looking at the details in full. Upon closer inspection, he recognized some of the outfits Ruby had purchased when the town was still cursed.

"So, are you like his manager or something?"

Neal pressed his lips in thought. "Not really. More of a freelance clothing sample supplier. He sends me an idea of what he wants for an upcoming event and I design and create a sample for him to show at an upcoming fashion show. Of course, the themes are all fairytales. The latest on being the tale of the tale of Sleeping Beauty."

"What was your first fairytale line?" Henry asked, honestly curious.

Neal smiled, his gaze falling on a lone colored picture. "Swan Lake," he replied softly.

Henry smile, thinking about his mom. "What made you decide to work in clothing design?"

"It was a family trade," Neal explained as he walked over and sat down at the wheel. He gave the wheel a gentle turn. "I learned to draw from my mother before she left us. I had a natural talent for it. My papa taught me how to spin when I was little. I used to hate it at first, having to get up so early in the morning to go take care of the livestock and gather wool or cotton to dye." He smiled sadly, clearly lost in memory. "What I wouldn't give to be able to go back to that now."

"Didn't he abandon you?" Henry asked then flinched, not thinking about what he was saying.

Neal just nodded. "Yea. He—". He stopped suddenly to gather his thoughts. "My papa used to be a good man before he came into the power that separated us. There was a conflict that he was trying to protect me from when he acquired what he did. It only served to drive us apart, however."

Henry frowned. There was something extremely familiar about Neal's backstory. "I thought spinning and weaving were things that people did back before the Industrial Age."

Neal grinned. "It was. Papa and I lived in a very isolated town in the U.K. I didn't get out much until I was fifteen."

Henry blinked. "Why then?"

Neal looked over at the wheel. "That was how old I was when Papa let me go," he replied in a voice that was barely over a whisper.

Henry could see why Julia wanted him with Neal. Even though Henry had been through a lot in the past year, Neal seemed to have it much worse and for a longer period of time. He just really hoped he could help his new dad.

"Well," Neal said as he stood up. "How about we get that dinner?" he asked, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Henry walked forward and wrapped his arms around Neal's waist, burying his face into Neal's chest. Neal froze in shock at first before he slowly returned the hug. Henry looked up to see a genuine smile gracing his face.

"How's the Italian restaurant next door?" Henry asked with a grin.

Neal simply laughed and lead Henry down the stairs, keeping his arms across the twelve year old's shoulders. "They have some of the best pizza in town. You will never want to go anywhere else."

Henry smiled in response and let Neal lead him out the door and to the left. The pair were quickly seated by a nice waitress that greeted Neal like an old friend. The waitress deposited some breadsticks onto their table before leaving to fill their drink orders.

"Tell me a little about yourself," Henry began as he leaned against the table, his head propped atop his folded arms.

Neal grinned and pointed a breadstick at him. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

Henry just gave him an innocent look. He motioned for Neal to begin.

"Hmm," Neal hummed as he took a bite of the breadstick. "You know a little about Papa and I would rather not get into that any more than we already have."

"Any potential moms for me to worry about?" Henry asked, mainly for the sake of changing the subject.

Neal's face too on a wistful look. "No. None you have to worry about."

Henry sat up tilting his head to the side in curiosity. "Was there someone before?"

Neal smiled longingly. "There was someone, a long time ago. I meet her in Oregon as she stole a car that I had stolen." Neal paused as what he said registered in his brain. "Don't steal. It is very bad."

"Too late," Henry grinned.

"What?" Neal exclaimed, looking shocked.

Henry gave him a sheepish look. "I took my teacher's credit card and used it to find my biological mother. She wasn't too upset about it. I did get reprimanded by my adopted mom. She wasn't too happy that I suddenly decided to go to Boston."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Ok. Ground rules: no stealing, no taking a bus or train to Boston. Are we clear?" he asked teasingly.

"Crystal," Henry clarified, meaning every word.

Neal nodded before he muttered: "Now where was I?"

"Your stolen car got stolen?" Henry suggested as he took a bite of a breadstick.

Neal flashed him a grin. "Yea. We were together for a year, running our own little Bonnie and Clyde act. Eventually, we wanted to find a place to settle down. We chose Tallahassee as our destination point. It didn't work out the way we had planned."

Henry frowned, remembering Bonnie and Clyde's story from a book he had randomly decided to read. Their story didn't end well. He hoped it wasn't the case for Neal's story.

"What happened?"

Neal paused, allowing the waitress to sit their drinks down and take their orders (a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza with extra cheese and garlic sauce on the side) before he looked back at his son. The thought of having a son brought a smile to his face.

"I lived in Arizona for a little while, Phoenix to be exact. Worked at a jewelry store as a janitor. The drunk manger always left the cases unlocked. One night," he cleared his throat, "I had the sudden impulse to steal some of the watches. Skipped town and jumped on a train to Portland. I was going to meet E—" he stopped abruptly. "I was going to meet _her_ when I noticed a wanted poster hanging up at the Post Office. I planned to skip town again, go to Canada to get away from everything. She convinced me to let her go get the watches so we could fence them for money. I have stashed them in a train station locker when I arrived in Portland." Neal paused again, taking a big drink of his Coke-a-Cola to quench his sudden thirst.

The waitress walked over with their pizza and quickly sat it and two plates on the table. Neal gave her a nod of thanks. Neal was quiet as he passed Henry a plate with a slice of pizza.

"She got the watches, meet me back in our car. I gave her one of the watches, something nice for us to keep. I left to fence the watches, telling her I would meet her at the docks so we could leave for our home. I ran into someone that was connected to my father along the way."

"Did he hurt her?" Henry asked quietly.

Neal shook his head. "No, he didn't. He actually wanted me as far away from her as possible. She was an unknown link to the past that I was trying to forget," Neal answered as he stabbed a mushroom with his fork.

"You didn't want to see your dad?" Henry asked, honestly confused. He would have jumped at the chance to get to know his real dad.

Neal shook his head, a hopeless smile on his face. "My Papa used to be the best person in the world. Unfortunately, as soon as he got the power and money he always dreamed of, he became extremely paranoid. Especially when I was involved. He hurt a lot of people just because he thought they would hurt me or try and take me from him. By the time we were separated, I was really scared of the man he had become."

Henry sat his pizza down. "Was the man hired by your dad to find you?"

Neal shook his head. "He had his own agenda. Like I said, he was trying to keep me from her. He was finally able to convince me to leave. That was the worst decision I have ever made. I tried to reach out to her, a month later, but he intercepted. I gave him the keys to our car and the twenty grand that I had gotten from fencing the watches. I didn't keep even a penny of it. He told me that he would keep in touch, send me a post card when everything had settled down."

"Did you ever get a post card?" Henry asked.

Neal shook his head. "No. I haven't heard anything from him in the last thirteen years. Eventually, the charges against me were dropped. I tried to go looking for her but I keep running into dead end after dead end. Hell, I'm still looking for her but I can't find anything. It's like she doesn't even exist."

The pair fell into silence, Henry processing the story while Neal was lost in the past. They eventually finished their pizza quietly before Henry though it best to steer the topic into safer waters.

"Where did you get you degree from?"

Neal grinned as he dropped a few bills onto the table as a tip. They quickly paid and decided to head to get some ice cream for dessert. The pair walked out the door as Neal began to talk again.

"I managed to get a grant that the state was offering for young adults to attend college at Yale University. I wasn't really sure what to do at first, since I had only been trying to get by day by day. I was taking some regular core classes when a classmate of mine began to show me some of her Childhood Psychology homework that she was having trouble with. It just came naturally to me."

"But why three Master's Degrees?"

Neal grinned. "I wanted to see how far I could push myself. Two years into the program, the grant fell through, leaving a lot of students without money to pay for college. I was one of the lucky ones who had been taken into a special part of the grant, one that still was allowed a certain amount of money for the students. At the time, I was living in a small apartment above a little sowing shop that was ran by an elderly couple. I made some extra money by working there on Saturdays and Sundays after I had finished my school work."

"Is that when you started working on clothing?"

Neal nodded. "I helped the owners with a few things here and there. They were getting on in their years and weren't able to do as much as they could. I also helped out in the Drama Studies department making and fixing costumes for different events as another way to get some extra money. That's actual how Austin found out about me. He had some scouts that were watching the Drama department for potential talent to recruit. Apparently, they had been looking for someone for a while. They had a couple of different candidates to choose from but no one really stood out."

"Until you came along," Henry commented as the pair walked into an old fashion ice cream parlor.

Neal nodded. "I was twenty-four. I didn't really want to take the job at first. I've always had a thing about people trying to take what is mine. A little ironic, considering what I used to do."

"What made you change your mind?" Henry asked after he ordered a vanilla cone dipped in dark chocolate with peanuts on top.

"He offered to pay for my tuition and pay off any debt I had accumulated. He also told me I would retain any rights to the designs as long as I didn't sell or supply them to opposing companies," Neal continued before ordering two scoops of strawberry ice cream in a freshly made waffle cone. He quickly paid for their treat and the pair sat outside on the patio, watching the stars twinkle above their heads.

"I graduated a few years later, when I was twenty-seven. The rest is history," he smiled as he took a bite of the ice cream.

"How did you meet Julia?" Henry asked, trying not to make a mess of his cone.

Neal quickly handed him some napkins. "She's actually Austin's sister. They're twins, fraternal but twins none-the-less."

"How old are you?" Henry asked suddenly.

Neal blinked, clearly thrown by the question. "I just turned thirty-three in March."

Henry blinked. "Wow. You're just a couple of years older than my mom."

Neal grinned. "Now, it's your turn. Tell me a little about yourself, Henry."

Henry grinned and took a bite of his ice cream, trying to think of a place to start. It would probably be best to leave out the Enchanted Forest. For now, anyways,

 **The Enchanted Forest** (around the same time)

Emma was walking through the halls of her parent's castle. The heels of her shoes clicked lightly on the stone floors as the dress she was wearing brushed against the floor softly. She sighed as she toyed with the necklace hanging around her neck. How it had survived the trip, she didn't know. It was just a keychain, after all. Nothing important in the least.

Emma groaned, knowing fully well that she couldn't lie to herself. The little swan pendant represented a time in her life where she thought she had found the one person that would do anything for her. Of course, that dream shattered when the door of her jail cell slammed shut in her face.

"I never thought I would see the day where I see Emma Swan wearing a dress."

Emma looked over and spotted Regina. She pushed herself off of the wall she was leaning against and walked next to Emma.

"Hello Regina," Emma replied, ignoring the dress comment and resumed her stroll. "Any luck with finding a way to get back to the Land Without Magic?"

Regina look frustrated. "No. Rumple said the only way he ever found was through the Dark Curse that he created."

Emma sighed. "It's been a year. How much more time does he need?"

Regina gave her a sympathetic look. "You have to keep in mind that he had been searching for a way to get to the Land Without Magic for around three and a half centuries."

Emma frowned. "Why?"

Regina just shrugged. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me." She changed topics suddenly. "What do you think happened to Henry?" she asked nervously.

Emma sighed heavily through her nose. "He'll probably end up in a home with an adopted family, if we are lucky."

"And if we're not?" Regina asked in a worried tone.

"He'll end up in the foster system. And it is not a happy place."

"But Henry is such a good kid. Surely someone would adopt him right away," Regina countered, not realizing how bias she was sounding.

Emma wrung her hands and tried to calm herself down. She wasn't mad at Regina, she was just extremely worried about Henry. "Older children are less likely to get adopted that a child who is ages two to six. A lot of parents look for a child who they can raise and influence as much as they can. As a child gets older, the likelihood of them getting adopted drops with ever year that passes. At least, that's what I experienced while I was in the system."

Regina clenched her jaw, clearly not pleased with what she was hearing.

"You looked lost in thought earlier," Regina commented as she walked next to her step-granddaughter, quickly changing the topic ( _Still weird,_ Emma thought to herself).

Emma was quiet for a moment. "I was thinking of Henry's father."

Regina looked over in surprise. "Henry told me he was a firefighter."

Emma flinched. "That was a lie."

Regina stopped and turned to face her. She knit her eyebrows together. "Why?"

Emma licked her lips. "I didn't want him to know the truth."

"The truth being?" Regina question, wanting a straight answer.

"I didn't want Henry to know that his father was a conman. That Neal left me to go to jail while he got off with twenty grand in stolen watches," Emma supplied.

"That's not what happened."

The pair of royals turned to see August Booth leaning against the wall.

Emma frowned. "What do you mean? How would you know that?"

August visibly flinched, as if Emma had just kicked him where it hurts. He sighed suddenly. "Let's meet up with the rest of the group first. Then I'll explain when we are there."

Emma frowned. "But it has nothing to do with any of them. Why wait?"

"It has everything to do with them," August countered as he walked to in the direction of the library. "Believe me, you'll want to hear the story in full."

He walked off, leaving the two frustrated women with no choice but to follow him.

 **New Beginnings: Timeline**

 **I decided to make this timeline as a way to help myself understand the world of OUaT, at least the portion of when Emma and Neal meet to when Henry was born and adopted. I hope this will help you, as the reader, understand the timeline I am working with. I tried very hard to keep it to what the writers have set as the standard but that wasn't easy. I hope this makes sense. It was a pain to try and figure out.**

 **Emma Swan: October 22** **nd** **1983**

 **Neal Cassidy: March 23** **rd** **1982**

 **Henry Mills: August 15** **th** **2001**

 **Timeline**

 **1999: October 22** **nd** **-** Emma turns 16 years old

 **2000: January-** (Portland, Oregon) Emma steals a stolen car from one Neal Cassidy. They begin their Bonnie and Clyde Act.

 **March 23** **rd** **-** Neal turns 19 years old

 **October 22** **nd** **-** Emma turns 17 years old

 **November-** Henry is conceived (assuming Emma did carry him to full term)

 **2001: January-** Neal goes to sell the watches, running in to August along the way. Emma is caught with possession of stolen goods and given 11 months.

 **February-** Neal contacts August from Canada and gives him the money and keys to the bug to give to Emma. August takes the money to go on a world tour and leaves the keys to Emma. By the end of this month, Emma, who is in a Women's facility in Phoenix, Arizona, finds out she is pregnant right at the same time she gets a letter from Thailand that contains the keys to the car.

 **March 23** **rd** **-** Neal turns 20 years old

 **August 15** **th** **-** Henry is born

 **September 20** **th** **-** Regina adopts a one month old Henry (I don't know the actual day Regina adopted Henry. Just taking a wild guess. Please correct me if I am wrong.)

 **October 22** **nd** **-** Emma turns 18 years old

 **December-** Emma gets out of jail and head to Tallahassee, where she lives for two years.


	3. Chapter 3

**New Beginnings: Chapter Three**

"I still don't see why I am invited to this little get together," Rumpelstiltskin complained as he paced in front of the fireplace. "I have more important things to take care of."

"And what could be more important than this?" Regina asked sharply.

"Oh, I don't know," the imp replied with a hand flourish. "Finding a way to get back to the Land Without Magic, perhaps?"

"And exactly why would you want to do that?" Regina countered as she stood from her seat. "Last I could recall, you really didn't have much of an interest in getting to Henry. What could possibly be so important to you there?"

Rumpelstiltskin got right in the Evil Queen's face. "Wouldn't you like to know, dearie?" he sneered.

"Rumple," Belle chide lightly.

The Dark One reluctantly stepped away from his former student and sat down next to his True Love.

"I still don't see why everyone has to hear this," Emma complained, having already told the group about how she meet Henry's father and under what circumstances Henry was born.

"I'm getting there," August supplied from his spot in the front of the group. "I guess I should start with how I know Neal."

"That would be nice," Emma said dryly.

"Emma," Snow chide calmly causing her daughter to sigh and sit back in her chair.

"I met Neal when he went to go fence the watches in Portland. I had been watching the two of you and was looking for an opportunity to catch him alone," August began.

"Stalker much," Regina commented, causing Emma's lip to twitch into a smirk at the look of discomfort on August's face.

"I managed to catch him after he ran, thinking I was a police officer." August bit his lip suddenly.

"What did you want to talk to him about?" Snow asked as she gracefully folded her hands in her lap.

August was quiet for a moment before he sighed. "It might be easier if you just watch the events unfold."

Emma knit her eyebrows together. "How are we going to do that?"

"With this," Rumpelstiltskin replied as he procured a dreamcatcher out of thin air.

He walked forward and stopped in front of August. "Simple think about the memory."

August closed his eyes in concentration and within seconds, the center of the dreamcatcher began to swirl with different colors. The group watched as a younger August chased a young man through the streets of Portland. The two finally came to a stop at the back of an alleyway when the young man tried to climb a high fence but was stopped by August. Emma sat there, transfixed as she heard the conversation. Her anger rose as she realized that August could have stuck around and helped her. Instead, he took off, not wanting to take responsibility. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard Neal say he was only ever trying to do right by her. Her heart fell into her stomach with August's next words.

"Then leave her," the younger August said forcefully.

"Never," Neal replied with fierce determination.

The exchange continued with August asking Neal if he believed in magic. Emma watched as a startled look crossed Neal's face.

"I take it you do," Neal replied, his voice slightly hoarse.

August eventually lead Neal over to his motorcycle that was parked in the same alleyway, the wooden box that Emma knew contained an old-fashion type-writer sat on the back.

"And when you see what I have in here, you are going to listen. You're gonna believe every word I say," August said before opening the box.

"Yeah, right," Neal replied, looking skeptical.

He leaned over and took a look in the box. Emma huffed, since none of the people watching could see what was going on. She did see, however, how white Neal turned as he took in whatever was in the box.

The scene eventually cut out, with none of the viewer knowing what was in the box. Emma didn't care about that, however. All she cared about at that moment was getting answers from August. She quickly stood and promptly slapped August across the face with her left hand and planted her fist in his face with the other hand. August dropped the dreamcatcher, groaning as he grabbed ahold of his now-broken nose.

Rumpelstiltskin giggled in the background. "Now, that's what I call entertainment."

Emma ignored him, practically seething. "How the _hell_ did you convince him to leave me?" she hissed, tears shining in her eyes as clear as day. "I was finally going to be happy and you had to take that away from me."

"You had to break the curse," August replied, his voice sounding very nasally due to his broken nose. "You wouldn't have been able to do that if you stayed with him."

"You could have convinced him to help you," Emma shouted, temper slowly raising. "He could have taken me to Storybrook. We could have raised Henry and given him a life with two parents; the life neither of us ever had!"

August looked at the floor. "He would have never helped."

"And why not?" Emma asked in a deadly quiet voice.

August smiled bitterly. "We're a link to his past that he was trying to escape from for years."

"How did you get him to call the cops?" Snow asked, recalling how Emma had said before that Neal had called the cops on her.

August flinch, though it wasn't from the pain of his broken nose. "Neal didn't call the cops. I did."

David had to grab his daughter to keep her from hitting August again. He quickly steered a kicking Emma into a chair. He let her go but keep his hands on her shoulders. Emma didn't seem to notice as she glared daggers at Pinocchio.

"Did he know?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper but she had enough venom in her voice to kill an elephant.

August flinched again before shaking his head. "No. He doesn't. I keep in touch with him for a little bit, enough to reassure him you were fine without giving too much away. I was worried he might try to break you out of prison if he knew."

"When did you last talk to him?" Emma questioned.

"You had just been transferred to Arizona," August supplied. "I meet him in Canada. He said he was moving east and wanted to leave something for you. He gave me the keys to your car, saying that he had gotten a clean VIN number for it."

Emma reached up and grabbed ahold of her necklace. The movement didn't go unnoticed by Rumpelstiltskin, who was watching the event with interest and amusement. The Dark One frowned, noticing for the first time the aura of magic around the swan pendant.

August cleared his throat. "He also gave me the money he got from fencing the watches. He wanted me to give it to you."

Emma froze. "But I never got any money. All I got was the keys to the bug and my necklace."

"Yea, well," August began as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You little thief," Regina said suddenly. "You took the money!"

August flinched again. "That's kind of beside the point. There's something else we need to discuss."

"What could possibly be more important than stealing from my daughter?" Snow White asked as she slowly rose from her seat.

"The reason I asked for everyone to be here," August clarified before Snow could say anything more. He looked over at Emma but quickly looked away as she glared heatedly at him.

"I would like to know that, actually," Rumpelstiltskin replied as he conjured a tea set onto the table in front of him and Belle. He quickly poured his True Love a cup and passed it to her before pouring one of his own. He took a drink from the expensive china. "Why exactly are we here?"

August reached down and picked up the dreamcatcher again. With a flick of his wrist, he got rid of the image that was on there and held it out to Emma. "I need you to focus on what Neal looked like the last time you saw him."

Emma took the dreamcatcher from him and looked into the center of the dreamcatcher. Within seconds, an image of a nineteen year old Neal Cassidy appeared. Rumpelstiltskin frowned, getting a clear look at the young man for the first time. There was something extremely familiar about him.

"Now," August began, using a towel to wipe away any blood on his face.

Regina rolled he eyes and gave a flick of her wrist. Within seconds, the blood on his face disappeared and his nose painfully reset into its normal place.

"Thanks," he said begrudgingly. He turned to Emma. "I need you to focus on what Neal looks like when his thirty-three."

"I wouldn't know that, now would I?" Emma countered bitterly. "Considering you made him leave."

August sighed. "Just focus on the age. Magic will do the rest."

Emma huffed before looking back at the dreamcatcher. Her eyes softened as she took in Neal's face. Within seconds, the image changed. Emma watched as his hair got a little shorter and his face aged. A scruffy stubble appeared on his face and his hair took on a couple of gray strands.

"At least he's a looker," Regina countered.

Emma turned and saw Regina giving her a teasing look. Emma merely rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Now," August said, bringing everyone's attention back to the front. "I need you to focus on when he was fifteen."

Emma frowned. "Will that even work?"

August simply nodded. Emma sighed before looking back at the man she had loved; the man she still loved. Seeing him when he was older was like a punch in the stomach. It made her think about all of the time they had lost. While she thought, the image shifted. Neal's hair began to grow out, darkening slightly and curling at the ends. The hair on his face receded and gave way to a young-full look. Before she knew if, she was looking at a fifteen year old Neal Cassidy, who looked a lot like Henry did.

Emma was about to ask August a question when something in the room shattered. Everyone turned to look at the Dark One, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. His golden skin turned paler that Emma thought it could. His reptilian eyes widened in disbelief as his hand clenched at the open air where his tea cup had been moments before. Even Belle, who was normally calm and collected, looked just as shocked.

"Bae," Emma heard him whisper as he gazed at the image.

"What?" Emma asked, slightly stunned.

"That's Bae," he replied, still transfixed on the picture.

"Baelfire is the reason Rumpelstiltskin created the Dark Curse," August supplied. "That's why he went to the Land Without Magic. He was trying to find Baelfire."

"Why?" Regina asked as she look over at her former mentor.

Rumpelstiltskin was unusually quiet for a moment. Regina was about to repeat her question when he said something that stopped everyone in their tracks.

"He's my son."

It was three o'clock in the morning. Neal knew he should have been in bed, at least trying to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, the only thing he would see was the _damn portal_ and his father letting him go, all in hopes of keeping his newfound power. Neal sighed, stopping the spinning wheel and rubbing his burning eyes with the heels of his palms. The nightmares always returned around this time of year and, as always, he buried himself in spinning and weaving.

Unlike usual, when he would spin until the sun would rise, a terrified scream broke him from his thoughts. Neal immediately jumped up from the wheel and raced down the stairs, taking them three at a time. He sprinted to Henry's room, throwing the door open quickly. In the middle of the bed was Henry, tangled up in the covers and sheets, sweat visible on his brows as he fought with whatever demons were plaguing him.

"Henry!" Neal said as he shook his son by the shoulders, trying to wake him up. "Henry! Hey, buddy. You're safe!"

Henry sat up suddenly with a strangled gasp. "W-what?"

"It's ok," Neal whispered as he took Henry's face in his hands. "You're safe. Nothing can get you here." He ran his hand though his son's hair gently with one hand and used the other to wipe way the tears. "You're safe," he repeated quietly but firmly.

Henry took a few calming breathes, trying to get his racing heart back to its normal rhythm. Neal could tell it wasn't working as Henry quickly looked around the room, watching the shadows for something. His heart went in his throat as he recalled his own nightmare. He quickly pushed the feeling of dread down, knowing Henry needed him more than he needed to dwell on the past.

"Let's go downstairs. I'll make you something to calm you down, ok?"

Neal didn't wait for a reply as he untangled Henry from the sheets and gently lead him down the stairs and to the kitchen. Neal turned on all of the lights, carefully letting Henry see everything he was doing as he went. He knew, from both personal and professional experience, that nightmares and night terrors could really spook a person and any sudden movements would cause them to flashback to their dream rather violently. He quickly helped Henry sit at one of the barstools and walked around to the stove, turning it on while placing a sauce pan on the eyes.

"It their anything you would like specifically?" Neal asked as he flipped the coffee pot on for himself. "Besides coffee, of course."

Henry shook his head and remained quiet. Neal walked to the fridge and pulled out some milk and reached for some cocoa and sugar in the fridge. He quickly put the ingredients together and left it to come to a soft boil. He turned back around and faced Henry.

"Aren't you going to ask me about it?" Henry asked, remembering the looks and questions he had gotten from his foster families whenever he had a nightmare and rudely woke them up.

"Nope," Neal replied, causing Henry to look up in surprise. His new dad was smiling softly. "I figured, if you wanted to talk about it, you would. Here," he said as he passed Henry a small wrapped package.

Henry opened it and saw a leather bound notebook. He looked up questioningly at Neal.

"I want you to write anything you want down, whether it be your dreams or past experiences. I promise that I will not read anything, unless you give me permission to," Neal said as he turned around and took the sauce pan off of the eye. He quickly poured the chocolate mixture into a mug.

Henry looked down at the book, something akin to gratitude bubbling in his chest. Everyone had always wanted him to talk and never asked if _he_ wanted to talk about it. They just all assumed that he would take about it. Henry felt tears weld back up in his eyes, this time they weren't from being scared. He had finally found someone who knew exactly what he was going through. Said person startled him slightly as he sat a mug in front of Henry. Neal gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you were off in your own world. Did you have a nice visit?" he asked with a smile.

Henry couldn't help the laugh that bubbled to the surface. "Yea. I forgot the checkout though. They might revoke my membership."

Neal laughed in response. "Well, hopefully the hot chocolate will help replace your membership."

Henry smiled and looked down at his hot chocolate. The smile quickly turned to a frown.

"Is this cinnamon?" he asked.

Neal blinked in surprise before looking back to the mug. "Whoops. You're not allergic, are you? Here," he said as he reached for the mug. "I'll make you another one."

Henry quickly grabbed the mug and pulled it to him before Neal could take it away. "It's ok. I actually like hot chocolate with cinnamon. I used to have it all of the time back home." He paused for a moment. "Why did you make it like this anyways?"

Neal flinched. "She used to drink it like that all the time," he replied softly.

Neal turned around and quickly poured himself a cup of coffee. Henry looked down at his own drink before taking a big swig of it. He blinked in surprise before taking another drink. Before, he would have said that Granny's had the best hot chocolate around. Now that he had some that Neal had made from scratch, he knew Granny's had been booted out of the spot.

"This is really good," Henry complemented, taking another drink. "Where did you learn how to make this?"

Neal cracked a smile. "The couple that let me live in the little apartment while I was in college. The woman was a very big mother hen, constantly fretting and fussing." Neal's smile turned into a full on grin. "She taught me all kinds of recipes, ranging from hot chocolate to a rice pilaf that is to die for."

Henry grinned back, glad he had managed to cheer his dad up. "What have you been working one?"

Neal blinked. "What do you mean?"

Henry pointed up towards the ceiling, taking another drink of the hot chocolate. "You've been sketching and spinning none spot since I got here a couple of days ago."

"Oh," Neal replied, polishing off his coffee quickly before setting the mug in the sink. "You notice that, did you?"

Henry simple nodded.

"I'll tell you about it in the morning." He stopped and looked at the clock on the stove, which read 4:01 am. "Preferably _after_ the sun has come up. Why don't you head back to bed? I'll make sure to wait for you to fall to sleep."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "I just got done drinking a cup of hot chocolate. I am pretty sure I won't be going to sleep for a while."

Neal sighed. "Should have thought that one through," he muttered, looking up at the ceiling as if it had an answer for him. He quickly grabbed the empty mug from Henry. "Let's go to my office, then. I'll tell you about it up there."

The pair quickly made their way up two flights of stairs, turning the lights off as they exited the kitchen. Henry dropped his new leather notebook off in his room along the way. Neal took a seat at his desk, pulling up the spare chair he had gotten from the basement for Henry to sit in. Neal nearly danced with joy when Henry showed an interest in watching and even leaning the trade that Neal had learned from his own father.

"Austin is going about the fashion promotion a little differently this time around," Neal explained as he pulled a couple of rough sketched towards him. "Instead of the traditional runway show or magazine spread, Austin is wanting to do a Broadway show."

Henry instantly perked up. "Really? That is so cool!"

Neal chuckled. "It would be if he had an idea of what he wanted to do. This project has been in planning for six months and we only have a three year overall timeframe to work with. So, if you do the math, we only have two and a half years to find the cast, a director, producer, set crew, etc. As well as I have to make individual costumes for every character with original designs that match them. I know that will take a while."

Henry frowned. "Can he not back the date up?"

Neal shook his head. "Austin has always had this thing about taking crazy risks that could possibly turn into a big bust. This one, however, takes the cake."

Henry frowned. "And he doesn't know what to do?"

Neal shook his head. "Since the production line is based on fairytales, it makes it a little hard to get something original without making it seem like your stealing something from Disney. That is a big lawsuit waiting to happen."

Henry sat there for a moment, gazing at the different pictures, racking his brain for something that could potentially help. His eyes wandered around the sketched that Neal had pinned to the wall, his eyes landing on a picture of Neal's first project. An imaginary light bulb went off in his head. A grin stretched across his face.

"I think I might have an idea for a storyline," Henry said looking at Neal.

"I'm all ears," Neal replied, leaning back in his chair.

Henry fidgeted a little. "When I was younger, I read the original tale of _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_. I didn't like the original so I decided to make up my own. If I wrote it down, do you think Austin would read it?"

Neal raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I don't see why not. He's been dying to meet you, anyways."

Henry grinned and sat back. He quickly began to spin a tale, sitting facing Neal with his back to the old wooden spinning wheel. He knew that, technically, he was stealing another person's tale. He was simple retelling his family history, from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrook, Maine.

 **The little scene with August is basically my rant about how the writers of Once never really included a confrontation between Emma and August about Emma going to jail and how it was** _ **August**_ **and not Neal that called the cops. I understand that it was wrong of Neal to leave Emma the way he did but he was just trying to get her back to her family, to get her home. August is just as much to blame for what happened with Emma going to jail as Neal is, maybe even more so since he called the cops and forced Neal's hand about him being Baelfire.**

 **That is also another thing that has been bugging me. How the hell did August know the Neal was Baelfire? Pinocchio never really had any connection to Rumpelstiltskin so he couldn't have possibly known that the Dark One had a son. Did the writers even clarify this point at any time during the show? If so, please point me in the direction of the episode. I would** _ **love**_ **to hear what they have to say. Sorry about the little mini rant.**

 **On another note. I am a fan of Swanfire but I am not anti-Hook or anti-Captain Swan. That being said, I am really not sure where this story is going to go. I absolutely love Hook as a villain and Colin O'Donohue as an actor. The only thing I can really say pairing wise for this story is Snowing, Rumbelle, and maybe even OutlawQueen with hints of StableQueen in the background. As for SwanFire, it is a past cannon for this story as much as it is for the show. Emma and Neal have an established background together and, since Cora and Hook never made it to Storybrook, they are in the Enchanted Forest just bidding their time.**

 **I am not trying to turn anyone away from this story. Currently, the main couple is leaning more towards Swanfire because that has been and will always be my OTP. However, if Captain Swan does show up, it will be my version of the pair since the only interaction the two have had was the time Emma and Snow were back in the Enchanted Forest, not the version that the show has taken on. I just feel that the relationship seems too forced and that if you need kissing to show love for each other, you are doing something wrong.**

 **I apologize for the little mini rants and I really hope I didn't scare anyone way. I just wanted to let you know, as the reader, what the intentions are romance wise for this story, if there will be any. Again, this story is mainly about Neal raising Henry and their time together as well as Emma and Regina trying to get back to their son. But, if I am to be honest, it will more than likely end up being a Swanfire fic. I hope no one will hold that against me.**

 **Until next time,**

 **KleopatraAlexandria**


	4. Chapter 4

**New Beginnings: Chapter Four**

Even though he had said he would be able to stay awake because of the hot chocolate, Henry fell asleep about thirty minutes into his story. Neal had chuckled lightly and stopped the wheel before carefully picking his son up.

"Let's get you to bed," he whispered as Henry mumbled in his sleep.

Neal slowly walked down the stairs, not wanting to wake Henry up. He quietly tucked the boy in, even though he was twelve years old. Neal slowly left the room, leaving the door cracked. He padded lightly across the floor and opened the door to his room. He entered and was out again within moments, a yellow dreamcatcher in his hands. He quietly hung it above Henry's bed before he place a kiss on his son's head.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered. Henry turned over on to his side, a smile gracing his face as he sleep peacefully for the first time in over a year.

~HENRYDANIELMILLS~

"What about this one?" Henry asked as he pulled up yet another scarf, this one darker purple and black.

Neal laughed. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Henry was his biological son. They enjoyed many of the same things, like old records, comic books, and fashionable scarves. Henry had even eyed a red leather jacket earlier but his face had taken on a wistful expression.

"Add it in the basket," Neal replied, leaning against one of the racks.

"Yes!" Henry cheered excitedly.

"So," Neal began, "why the obsession with scarves?"

Henry simple tilted his head to the side in thought. "Maine was always cool, especially in the fall and winter. Scarves always helped me keep warm."

Neal nodded, flashing back to his time in Victorian London and the six months he had lived on the streets before the Darlings had taken him in. Those were the coldest six months of his life. He himself had worn multiple scarves and layers of clothing to keep the cold out.

"Are there any scarves you want, Dad?" Henry asked, dragging Neal from his thoughts.

Neal grinned, loving how quickly the teen had taken to calling him Dad. The first time he heard it was the day after Henry had arrived.

" _Ground rules," Neal began as he quickly flipped a pancake. "No talking to strangers, no stealing your teacher's credit cards to find your biological mom," he teased, his eyes twinkling as he passed the pancake onto a plate. "And no unexpected bus tours. I've got plenty of money so the two of us can go on trips, if you like."_

 _Henry laughed, good-naturedly. "Ok," he agreed with a grin, "I won't repeat past events."_

 _Neal smiled. "All jokes aside, I want you to make sure you are home by eight o'clock every night, if you want to go somewhere. I don't mind friends coming over and staying for a while but all homework needs to be done before hand. Of course, you won't be starting school for another two weeks so that might not apply just yet. Main rule Number One: always be honest with me. Can you do that?"_

 _Henry smiled and nodded as he took the plates that Neal had passed him, carefully sitting them on the table in the kitchen. Even though Neal had the big dining table, he preferred to eat at the small, four person table that was nestled in front of the counter in the kitchen._

 _It hadn't take him long to realize just how lucky he was. He had had some pretty crappy homes while in the foster system and he had heard some terrible stories from Emma about the families she had had. Even though Henry had only been with Neal for less than a day, the teen could tell that Neal really cared about what was going on in his life. And the man hadn't even known Henry for a full day yet. As odd as it sounded, the two had connected rather well, something that Henry found a little bizarre but he wasn't complaining about it._

 _Neal continued to list different ground rules, frying up some bacon for the two of them. Of course, Henry could tell that he was just pulling his leg as of this point._

" _And no running off with a Doctor in a TARDIS blue police box," he continued, sitting the plate of bacon between the two. "At least without me, anyways," he grinned._

 _Henry laughed out loud, nearly toppling his chair backwards. "Ok, Dad," Henry smiled._

 _Neal looked up at him in surprise before a bright grin stretched across his face. It took Henry a moment to realize what he had said. His face heated up a little bit. He hadn't realized he had called him Dad. The term just kind of slipped._

" _Is it ok if I call you that?" Henry asked._

 _Neal smiled gently and reached across the table to ruffle the teen's hair. "You can call me anything you like," he said softly, his warm hand resting on the top of Henry's head for just a moment._

"Dad?" Henry asked, breaking Neal from his thoughts.

"Sorry," Neal said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was off in my own little world."

"It's ok," Henry replied. "I do that sometimes as well."

"So," Neal said as he carried the basket full of scarves through the store, to the counter. "You never did get to finish your story."

Henry blinked. "Oh, yeah. I fell asleep." He paused for a moment. "Where did I leave off?"

"You were just talking about Snow White meeting Prince Charming for the first time," Neal supplied as he handed the cashier the basket.

Henry immediately launched into the tale, speaking as quietly as he could. He didn't want to potentially ruin the story for anyone that was going to see the show, even though it was two and a half years away. The pair had made it through another store and were eating lunch when Neal suddenly stopped Henry in the middle of his tale.

"Rumpelstiltskin?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "As in the imp from the tale of the Miller's daughter?"

Henry nodded, enthusiastically. "Yep. I thought it might be fun to make the person that helps Snow White and Prince Charming be the villain with an agenda."

"Who is this Rumpelstiltskin?" Neal asked, clearly interested. Underneath the casual expression, however, Neal's heart was stuck in his throat.

"He's known as the Dark One," Henry replied and Neal felt his heart drop into his stomach. "The Dark One is a being that has the most power in the Enchanted Forest."

"The Enchanted Forest?" Neal echoed, suddenly feeling like a parrot, his heart beating too fast for his liking.

Henry nodded. "It's a different realm where all of the fairytale characters live. Rumpelstiltskin is the oldest, having lived as a spinner in the Frontlands during the Ogre War. He took on the powers of the Dark One to save his son."

Neal's heart literally stopped for a moment. He keep his face as interested as possible and took a small sip of his coffee, suddenly hoping for something stronger. "What's his son's name?" he asked, keeping his voice light and a small smile on his face.

"Baelfire," Henry replied, taking a bite of his burger.

Neal resisted the urge to close his eyes and rub his temples. Henry's tale of Rumpelstiltskin was too spot on to be a coincident. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry and a headache forming between his eyes.

"What happened to his son?" Neal asked, leaning forward, his voice low.

Henry shrugged. "I haven't figured that part out yet," he replied and in that instance Neal knew that Henry wasn't telling a story he had made up. He was telling a story that he had heard. Neal's mind suddenly went back to the conversation he had had with Julia.

" _When we asked him why he was in the forest, he said that the town was taken back to where it came from and he couldn't go because he was born here."_

'Back to where it came from' were the exact words that Julia had said. 'He was born here' were the next. Neal knew what they meant know. Henry's family was from the Enchanted Forest, his old home. The town had disappeared, going back to the Enchanted Forest, where all of the inhabitants belonged. Everything that August had told him was true.

Neal mentally applied the brakes to his train of thought as the situation caught up with him. He looked at Henry, who was watching him, a confused thought on his face. Neal looked around, the area suddenly seeming too crowded.

"You want to take a little trip?" Neal asked, years of acting keeping his voice light. "Just the two of us?"

Henry's face lit up like a light bulb. "Sure!" he replied excitedly. "Where to?"

"You remember the couple I told you I worked for in college?"

Henry nodded, grinning.

"They had a little vacation home in Augusta, Maine. It's surrounded by a little wooded area and even has a little lake. It's a great area to go horseback riding in."

Henry's face lit up even more. "That is so cool! When can we leave?"

Any sense of dread that Neal felt completely disappeared as he watched Henry's face practically glow with excitement. Neal really wanted to aske Henry about the little town that he was from but he quickly pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind. He didn't want to bring anything up that could potentially break the little trust the two shared.

Neal smiled. "How about we finish shopping, order some Chinese food for dinner tonight, and head out in the morning. It's a pretty good drive. I was thinking we could stay a week or two."

Henry's face suddenly fell. "But what about your job?"

Neal rolled his eyes sarcastically, causing Henry to snicker. "Austin won't mind me taking a vacation with my son. I can always draw while we are in Augusta. Besides, didn't you say that the Enchanted Forest was a heavily wooded area? I can draw some inspiration from there for the costume designs."

Henry practically bounced in his seat. "This is great!" he exclaimed loudly, not even caring that the two were in public. "Our first little family vacation."

Neal couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Henry's joy was extremely addicting. He quickly picked up their food trays and dumped them in the appropriate bins. Henry carried his bag of scarves.

"Where to next?" the twelve year old asked with a grin.

Neal smiled. "Shirts and jeans."

Henry trailed behind him happily.

~NEALCASSIDY/BAELFIRE~

"Whoa!" Henry exclaimed as he nearly fell off of the horse for the third time.

His dad patiently caught him and steadied him on the horse. Henry grinned and Neal smiled right back. The two had been at the vacation home for a couple of days now. Even though Neal had called it a 'little vacation home', it was anything but. The Victorian style home was three stories tall, surrounded by the woods. It was nestled in front of a descent sized lake. Vines ran up the side of the light blue home, giving it a very homey feel.

The inside of the house was much like their home back in Manhattan, full of antiques and character. Just like the house, the attic had been converted into a spinning workshop, equipped with everything Neal could possibly need to work from Maine.

"How do I even stay up here?" Henry asked with a grin.

"Just balance your weight. You're too light to be able to hurt the horse," he replied as Henry shuffled atop the horse.

"Where did you learn how to ride a horse?" Henry asked.

Neal's smile fell a little, like it did every time he was thinking of his past. "My Papa taught me when I was younger. Before we had to sell the horse to get some money."

"Now you're passing it down to me," Henry smiled, finally staying on the horse.

Neal quickly and effortlessly climbed up onto the horse, swinging his leg over to the other side. He returned Henry smile and took ahold of the reigns to both horses. He had made sure the reigns to Henry's mare, a beautiful white and beige horse by the name of Tinker Bell, were longer than the ones to his horse. Henry had practically laughed himself silly when Neal had told him the name of his horse.

Neal gently tapped the back of his heel against his horse's side. He had rescued the beautiful black horse from a shelter that was going to put her to sleep because they were so pack with animals. He had named her Black Beauty, after the movie he had seen years ago. The pair quietly set off, the two horses easily finding the trail that snaked through the woods.

"Tell me a little about your mom," Neal said, breaking the silence.

Henry tilted his head to the side. "Which one?"

"Your birth mother," Neal replied as the sun peeked gently through the leaves.

Henry was quiet for a moment. "I've only known her for about two years but," Henry sighed, "she was…is probably the best mom that anyone could ask for."

"How so?" Neal asked.

Henry thought for a moment. "She's brave and strong. She doesn't let anyone put her down, least of all walk on her. She's the kind of person you look to when you are in trouble. While she seems to be all tough and hard, she has a softer side underneath, on that she rarely shows to anyone besides me."

Neal smiled. "She sounds like an amazing woman," he replied, his own thought drifting to a blonde woman with bright green eyes and a smile that lit up the sky.

"She is," Henry agreed.

Neal bite his lip, mentally tumbling his thoughts in his head for a moment. "What happened to her?"

"I don't know," Henry replied, shifting uncomfortably, his backpack nearly slipping from his shoulder.

Neal hummed lightly as he pulled the horses to a stop. They had arrived into a small clearing, one that made Henry think of the home he would never be able to see with his own eyes. One he could only read about in his Storybook.

Neal quickly slide off of Black Beauty and helped Henry down. Neal took his bag off of his shoulder and quickly pulled out a dark green blanket and laid it across the ground. Henry sat his own bag down and stretched out across the blanket, looking up at the canopy of leaves above his head.

"What was her name?" Henry asked suddenly, startling Neal.

"What?" Neal asked as he paused, his hand holding a thermos of soup.

"The woman you are always thinking about," Henry replied as he rolled over onto his stomach. "What was her name?"

Neal looked down at his bag and quietly pulled out the rest of their food, sitting it gently on the blanket. Henry bit his lip, mentally back peddling.

"Emma," Neal replied softly. "Her name is Emma."

Henry blinked in surprise. One, he hadn't expected Neal to reply. Two…

"That's my mom's name," he replied.

Neal looked up and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't really surprised that there were other people named Emma. It was a common name, after all. He just didn't expect Henry's mother to have the same name.

"You're birth mother?" Neal asked.

Henry nodded. "My adopted mother's name is Regina Mills."

Neal nodded, sitting his bag off to the side, laying his sketch book beside him. He had two different sketch books: one for work and one for himself. The one he had with him had different pictures he had drawn of people from his past: his mother, his Papa, Hook, Morraine, and, most of all, Emma.

"How did you find her?" Neal asked as he opened a tub of mustard potato salad.

"I used a website that finds biological parents," Henry answered. "All I had to do was send them my name and my birthdate and they figured out the rest."

"Is that where your teacher's credit card came in?" Neal asked teasingly.

Henry grinned sheepishly in response.

"I have a question for you Henry," Neal said suddenly, his stomach suddenly full of butterflies. "And I want you to answer me honestly."

"Main rule Number One," Henry repeated.

Neal nodded.

"I'll do my best," Henry replied.

Neal resisted the urge to fidget. "Where did you hear you story from?"

Henry opened his mouth to automatically reply that he had made it up but stopped. He bit his lip, not wanting to break the main rule that Neal had set up for him on the first full day. Ever since then, Henry had made sure to follow that one rule. The rule about the Doctor still hadn't happened.

"Can you keep a secret?" Henry whispered, leaning forward.

Neal nodded, his expression open and honest. "Of course I can."

Henry reached around and grabbed his backpack. He quickly unzipped it and produced an old leather bound book and handed it to Neal. Neal blinked and took the surprisingly weighty book. On the front, written in gold print sat the words 'Once Upon A Time'.

"I got the story from that book," Henry replied as Neal opened the cover.

"You do realize that taking another author's work and publishing is considered stealing, right?" Neal asked with a raised eyebrow.

Henry shook his head. "There is no author and it's not a story."

Neal looked up and raised an eyebrow. "It's not a story?"

Henry nodded. "Everything in that book actually happened. The town that I lived in before was from the Enchanted Forest. Everyone that I knew went back when my mom, Regina, had to break the curse to save us. I was the only one left," he finished softly as he looked at his lap.

Neal was quiet for a moment, staring down at the book in his lap. He looked up and saw Henry watching him wearily. Neal sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"And how do you fit into all of this?" he asked as he gestured to the book.

"My adopted mom is the Evil Queen," Henry commented.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Henry nodded and quickly flipped the book to a picture of the Evil Queen. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small album that Neal had never seen before. Henry quickly flipped to a picture and laid the album directly next to the picture of the Evil Queen.

Neal let out a low whistle, taking in the similarities between the two women. Scratch that. The two were so _identical_ it was almost scary. "Damn," he muttered under his breath. "Got any pictures of the rest of your family?"

Henry eagerly showed him the pictures of his grandparents and compared them to the images of Snow White and Prince Charming. He then showed him the different picture of the people from the town, from his psychologist to the waitress at the diner. The more Henry showed him, the more Neal knew for certain that the people in the book were actually from his home. That thought was cemented when Neal's eyes landed on a picture of Mr. Gold.

It really shouldn't have surprised him to see the picture of his father. The thing that really got to him was the fact that the man in the picture looked like a mix of Neal's father and the monster that tore the two apart. Neal remembered all of the times that Henry commented about Neal reminding him of the pawnshop owner Mr. Gold. It made sense now that Neal was looking at a picture of the owner.

"Does your biological mom have anything to do with all this?" Neal asked, looking at the book again.

Henry suddenly flipped to the back of the book and showed him a picture of Prince Charming placing a baby in a tree shaped wardrobe. Neal looked at the picture, taking in every detail. Henry sat off to the side, watching his adopted father with interest.

"You're taking this all surprisingly well," Henry commented.

Neal chuckled and was about to reply when his eyes zeroed in on the baby blanket. His heart skipped a beat as he took in the cream colored, hand knitted blanket. A deep purple ribbon had been tied into it, matching the hand stitched name that was clearly visible from the top.

" _Why would someone make me such a beautiful blanket and then just leave me on the side of the road?" she cried, her head laying against his chest, her baby blanket clenched tightly to her chest._

 _He rubbed her back gently, his fingers trailing lightly up her arm, brushing the soft yarn of the baby blanket. Whomever made the blanket had taken great care to knit every little detail into it. Neal could tell by the way the knots and lines were designed._

" _I don't know," he whispered to her softly. "But I do know that whomever they were, was an idiot for giving someone as great and beautiful as you up."_

 _Emma sniffed, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "Do you really mean that?"_

 _Neal felt his face go red. He awkwardly cleared his throat. He had only know the young girl for a month and a half now and he knew he was making a fool of himself by saying such things._

" _I'm just telling the truth," he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable._

 _Emma smiled at him a placed a kiss on his cheek. She laughed when his face turned an even deeper shade of red. That blush didn't leave for the rest of the night, something she continued to tease him about._

"Shit," Neal swore, momentarily forgetting where he was.

Henry frowned. He knew something was up. Neal _never_ cursed, even when a color didn't dye the right way or when the order of wool or silk he was having specially shipped didn't arrive. In less than a span of ten minutes, however, the man had curse twice.

"Henry," Neal said really lowly, looking over at his son. "What does your biological mom look like?"

Henry took his album back and flipped to the very last page. It was one of his favorite picture of the two of them taken by Snow White, who had thought she was Mary Margret that the time. Emma had only just become Sheriff and the picture was taken at the celebration party. He passed the album back to his dad and all he could do was stare.

Neal felt the breath leave his lungs. She looked almost the exact same as when he had last seen her. She was older, that was for sure but she had only gotten more beautiful through the years. Her hair was free of the pony tail she always wore in Portland. Her blond hair that he used to love to run his hands through fell in waves and curls down her back and over her shoulder. Her green eyes sparkled with laugher and youth. Looking at her now, Neal knew he was only falling even harder for her. Never in a million years would he have thought that Henry was Emma's son. And the odds of him adopting him were even fewer. He ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip in frustration.

"Dad?" Henry asked, worried.

Neal pulled himself out of his thoughts. He sighed again, wondering how he was going to explain this to Henry.

"This is your mom?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

Henry nodded.

"Is her name Emma Swan?"

Henry blinked, surprised. "Yea. How did you know?"

Neal reached back and grabbed his sketch book. He quickly flipped it open to his favorite picture of Emma and handed the notebook to Henry. Henry took it and his mouth nearly fell open in surprise.

"You know my mom?" Henry asked, surprised.

"You remember my Emma? The one I'm always mentioning?" Neal asked and he could automatically see the gears and wheels turning and clicking into place.

"They're the same person," Henry whispered before a grin lit up his face. "That is so cool! You must have known my dad then."

Neal frowned. "Wait a minute," he said, suddenly remembering something. "Didn't you say your mom meet you dad in Arizona?"

Henry nodded. "Yea, about thirteen years ago. They meet when Mom was a waitress. He was a firefighter."

Neal frowned, feeling like he was missing something extremely important. "But Emma didn't live in Arizona at the time," he replied, confused. "How could she have met your dad in Arizona when we…" Neal trailed off, realization dawning on him.

"When you what?" Henry asked, confused.

Neal looked up and marveled at how he hadn't seen it before. Now that he was looking at Henry with this new information, he could see the traits and features that he had missed before. The two shared the exact same shade of brown eyes that Neal had gotten from his father. Henry's hair was almost the exact same shade his had been at that age; it was just a shade lighter. Henry's nose had come from his mother's side, along with the shape of his eyes but the chin and facial structure were without a doubt from Neal's side of the family, mainly his mother's.

"Henry," Neal said, not really sure how to break the news to his son. It was only when the thought crossed his mind that the full brunt of the situation fell on Neal. Henry was his _son_. Not his adopted son but his _biological son_. His own flesh and blood. _How the_ hell _did I not see it?_ "I don't think your dad was a firefighter."

Henry frowned. "But that's what mom told me," he replied.

Neal licked his suddenly dry lips. "Henry, Emma was living in Portland thirteen years ago. She wasn't in Arizona or anywhere close. She couldn't have meet a fireman and had you in less than seven months. A full term baby is nine months old."

Henry frowned. "But if my dad wasn't a firefighter, then who was he? Is he even dead?"

Neal bit his lip to the point of almost drawing blood. He moved forward on the blanket and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "I need you to listen carefully to me, Henry. Can you do that?"

Henry nodded, confusion and distress written clearly on his face.

"Emma and I met in January of 2000 when she was sixteen years old and I was eighteen. One year later, that man that I told you about convinced me to make the biggest mistake of my life," he relayed slowly. "Seven months later, you were born and Emma gave you up for adoption."

Henry nodded, trying to follow the story.

Neal exhaled softly, the sigh almost inaudible. "Your mother and I were together during that year."

Henry blinked before his eyes widened. "You're my dad," he whispered quietly.

Neal nodded. "And I just found out. I would have never known if you hadn't shown me your storybook."

Henry frowned. "Why not?"

Neal reached back and picked the book back up, showing Henry the picture of David and baby Emma. "Emma used to care that blanket around wherever she went. It's one of a kind."

Henry sat there in silence for a moment, staring at the picture he had always looked to when he felt lonely. "Why did she lie?" Henry whispered brokenly.

Neal felt as though someone had ripped his heart from his chest. "I left her, remember. She was probably hurt by that."

"Did you call the cops on her?" Henry asked, suddenly remembering that he was born in jail.

Neal looked up in confusion. "What?"

"Mom found out she was pregnant with me while she was in jail. Something about possession of stolen goods."

"Shit," Neal swore, running a hand though his hair. "That son of a bitch."

"Swear jar," Henry said deadpanned. "That's four times today."

Neal snorted. "Don't follow my example when I am getting blindsided by multiple things at one time." He turned back to Henry. "I didn't call the cops. I didn't even know she went to jail." He sighed heavily. "I'm going to kill August."

Henry frowned. "August Booth?"

Neal looked up and nodded.

"He's Pinocchio. He was supposed to watch my mom while she was growing up but didn't."

"He's also the one that convinced me to leave the two of you," he flinched, suddenly aware that he had left Emma at a time when she really needed him, "and was supposed to contact me but didn't."

"So you know all about the curse?" Henry asked, leaning forward.

"I know a hell of a lot more than you think, kid," Neal commented as he picked his sketch book up. He quickly flipped to a picture he had drawn when he first acquired the sketchbook. He silently handed the picture to Henry.

Henry blinked. "This is Mr. Gold, except he doesn't look like he is about to turn someone into a toad."

"He preferred turning them into snails," Neal replied, his mind slipping back to the event that set a lot of crap into motion. It was the whole reason he had gone to look for a way to cure his father of the Darkness.

Henry looked up in surprise. "How did you know that? I haven't even let you read the book."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "That's in there? Show me."

Henry quickly moved to sit next to his dad, a fact that caused a grin to spread across his face. He opened his book to Rumpelstiltskin's tale and show Neal the illustrated picture. Neal looked over his shoulder and looked at the image of his fifteen year old self.

"How did you know that?" Henry asked.

Neal let out a shaky laugh. "Ready for another major plot twist?"

Henry nodded, his eyes full of interest and wonder.

Neal pointed to the picture of his younger self. "That's me. My name is Balfire."

~ONCEUPONATIME~

"About damn time," Regina commented as she flicked her wrist. She glanced down and smiled at her pinstriped suit and black heels.

"We're back," Emma breathed, taking in the streets of Storybrook, Maine. She stopped and looked around. "Mom?!"

"Right here," she replied, helping David to his feet.

Emma immediately ran over, hugging her parents with everything she had in her. "Don't ever do that again," she breathed.

"We had to get back," Snow countered. "The only way was to cast the curse."

Emma pulled away. "What if splitting your heart hadn't worked? What if Dad would have died?"

"Then I would have died knowing I was getting you back to your son," David replied, holding his daughter close.

Emma slapped him on the arm, still extremely pissed about being left out of the loop. Even Rumpelstiltskin had known their plan. "You don't get to say things like that!" she hissed. "I just found you and got to know you and then you nearly die trying to get me back to my son. We could have found another way."

"We didn't have enough time," Gold replied, walking up to the group. Emma had never been gladder to see a normal, non-sparkling looking Rumpelstiltskin. It was still weird to think about him being Henry's other grandfather. "Cora and Zelena were planning to do something. At least here we have an advantage."

"And a mission," Regina said, walking forward. "We have to find Henry."

"And my son," Gold replied, his voice clear of the hostility that Emma would have associated him with over three years ago.

"Remind me to stay with your crowd from now on," Captain Hook said as he look down at his clothes. "These clothes are rather stylish."

"Why did we bring the show pony?" Regina asked, jabbing her thumb back at Hook.

"Oi," he replied. "I'm a pirate, not a show pony."

"There's a difference?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We brought him because he was the one that exposed Zelena for who she really was," Emma replied, looking at Hook. "What I don't know, however, is why."

Hook calmly regarded the group. "I'm here to make amends with someone I wrong."

"And who would that be?" Gold asked with a hand flourish. "Who could you possibly have wronged so bad that you regret your actions?"

"Let me think," Hook replied sarcastically. "Your son, perhaps?"

Gold's eye darkened considerably. "What exactly did you do to my son?"

Hook was quiet for a moment. He sighed heavily. "I sold him to Pan while we were in Neverland," he replied quietly. "I was so bent on getting my revenge on you that I was too blind to see the situation I was putting him in. I want to apologize to the lad."

"And what if he doesn't forgive you?" Gold sneered.

Hook looked him directly in the eyes, his expression mocking. "Then I'm not worth forgiveness. It's as simple as that. And shouldn't you be asking yourself the same question?"

"What are the chances that both Neal and Henry are together?" Snow quickly cut in, trying to steer the topic into safer waters. She really didn't want to see Hook and Gold lash out at each other.

"Almost one in three billion," Emma answered honestly. She looked over at August. "Did you tell Neal I was pregnant?"

August shook his head. "I didn't even find out about Henry until Regina had already adopted him. And I hadn't had contact with Neal since he gave me the keys to your car."

"And since you stole the money from Bae?" Belle asked as she walked forward.

Emma smirked at the look of discomfort on August's face. Ever since Belle had learned about how Baelfire was, she had made it a point to poke at August whenever she got the chance. Emma knew instantly that Belle would have made a great step-mother to Neal, as weird and as odd as it sounded. The two had very similar personalities that would have abled the two to get along rather well.

"What's our plan of attack?" David asked.

"Emma, Regina, and Rumple should be the ones to go out and try to find Henry and Bae," Belle said quickly. "The rest of us will stay back and protect the town."

"But that's taking our best fighters away," August counted, only to get silenced by the look Belle shot him.

"We'll take precautions and set up barriers using blood magic," she explained. "We can section off parts of the town, keeping Zelena, Cora, and Hook from getting to those places."

"We'll bring Henry and Neal back, as soon as we can find them," Emma said.

"Where do we even begin to look?" Snow asked, worried.

"And how are we going to get past the barrier?" Regina asked. "The only one that could get past easily this time is Snow because she cast the curse. The rest of us will lose our memories."

"I was working on something before we left," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "I have the formula in my head but it could take some time to complete."

"How long?" Emma asked.

He was quiet for a moment. "It could take up to five months."

"Shit," Regina cursed.

"You said up to. What is the least amount of time it could take?" Emma asked, refusing to be the pessimist. She hadn't seen her son in three long years. There was no way in hell she was waiting another five months.

"Assuming that everything I need is in my shop, about two weeks," he replied.

Emma nodded, satisfied with the answer. She turned and nearly rolled her eyes as she spotted August playing on his phone.

"We don't have time for you to text your girlfriend, Pinocchio," Emma said.

August looked up with a raised eyebrow. "I'm trying to see if I still have Neal's cell phone number. He gave it to me to call him years ago."

"But you never did," Regina replied hotly.

August flinched.

"He might not even have the same number," Snow suggested.

Emma shook her head. "Neal isn't one to change things unless he really needs to. Unless he had to make another unexpected trip to Canada, he probably has the same number."

August nodded and quickly pressed send. He brought the phone up to his ear and the group waited on bated breath.

 **I know it is a weird time jump and yes it is not a typo. Storybrook has returned three years after it left, two years after Neal adopted Henry. I hope everyone likes the story thus far. This chapter was giving me hell when I first tried to write it. Please Read and Review!**

 **-KleopatraAlexandria**


	5. Chapter 5

**New Beginnings: Chapter Five**

 _Early October 2014 Manhattan_

"Do you have everything?" Neal asked as he rummaged through Henry's backpack. "Your pencils, textbooks, notebooks, rulers, deodorant, mouthwash…" he listed with a cheeky grin.

"Mouthwash? Seriously?" Henry asked.

"You never know when you need to impress someone," Neal replied.

"Dad," Henry deadpanned. "It's just the seventh grade. I'm not going to need to impress anyone until college, at the earliest."

Neal laughed loudly at that comment. It had been about a month since they had returned from their little trip in Maine. Even with the newfound knowledge that Henry was Neal's biological son, the pair only seemed to grow closer as the vacation progressed. By the time the two had returned from the trip, all of the paper work for Henry's schooling had been completed. Since the twelve year old didn't have any type of school file on record, the Board at the private school scheduled a few days for him to take different placement tests. Much to the surprise of the Board (as well as Neal's amusement), Henry passed all the tests with flying colors, even though he struggled slightly with the math portion of the test.

The principal at the school had originally suggested that Henry skip a grade and go onto eighth grade or even ninth grade but Henry turned her down.

"I'm already the new kid," he had responded. "I don't want to stick out more than I already do. Besides," he shrugged, "I want to make friends with people my age.

Neal couldn't have been more proud of his son then he was in that moment.

"Don't doubt your own ability to impress girls, Henry," Neal teased, his thoughts returning to the present. "You never know when you'll find the one."

"Like you did with Mom?" Henry asked.

Neal smiled softly in return. "Yea," he agreed quietly. "Like with your mother." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Let's get going. You don't want to be late for school on your first day."

Henry nodded and tried to smile excitedly. On the inside, however, his stomach was filled with butterflies. It had been a long time since he had really gone to a school and planned on staying there. Even during his year of foster home jumping, his host families never once let him go to school, something he was pretty sure was illegal. Henry shook himself out of his stupor before his Dad could notice and quickly followed him out the door.

"Do you think Principal Green will try and push me to advance again?" Henry asked, trying to push his nerves down.

Neal snickered. "Abby can seem a little pushy at times but she knows when to stop."

Henry frowned. "You know her?"

Neal nodded. "Yea. The two of us are close."

Henry felt a sense of uneasiness feel his stomach suddenly. "Like how close you were with Mom?" he asked, biting his lip.

Neal frowned and stole a glance at Henry. "What's wrong?" Neal asked, noticing the discomfort on his son's face.

Henry bit his lip. "Call me a dreamer or crazy or whatever but," he rambled lightly, "I was kind of hoping you and Mom would get back together when they come back."

Realization crossed Neal's face. "Oh," he said lamely. "You think Abby and I had a relationship in the past?"

Henry nodded, his throat suddenly tight.

Neal reached over and ruffled his hair lightly. "Abby and I are just friends. We meet in college, about two years before she graduated. You don't have to worry about any potential wicked step-mothers anytime soon."

Henry let out a sigh of relief. A grin spread across his face. "Are you going to try and get back together with Mom?"

Neal thought about the question for a moment, his eyes watching the road carefully. "That's something I will have to discuss with Emma when I see her again. I'm sure I hurt her badly by leaving."

Henry frowned. "But August convinced you to leave."

Neal sighed slowly. "August may have persuaded me, Henry, but I made the choice to walk out on the two of you. I'm just as much at fault as August is for putting your mother through all of that."

Henry was quiet for a moment. "Would you have left if you had known Mom was pregnant?" he asked quietly.

"No," Neal answered automatically. "I wouldn't have left."

Henry brightened up considerably after that. He chattered animatedly with his dad for the thirty minute car ride. Normally, the students were required to stay in the boarding rooms for the entire year. However, since Neal had a very flexible job and Henry's social worker had strongly advised against the idea of Henry being away from a stable environment, the school had agreed to allow Henry to simple commute back and forth between home and school. It also helped that Neal was friends with the Principal of the school.

"Why haven't we told Julia about us being blood related yet?" Henry asked suddenly.

Neal smiled. "I'm going to tell her. Eventually."

"Eventually being?" Henry asked.

Neal smirked. "When your mother comes back."

Henry frowned. "But that could take a while. Months, even years," he trailed off sadly.

Neal sighed again. He reached over and ruffled Henry's hair again. "I know it could take a while but how would we explain that we know we are related? We can't really tell them about the Enchanted Forest. They'll think we're both unstable and separate the two of us."

"But you're my dad," Henry countered. "They can't take me from you."

"They can if they believe a parent isn't all there. I've done research on similar topics and every single time, whether it is a child's biological parent or adopted, if the guardian is suspected to be unfit in any shape or form, the living environment of the child is threatened. The government will step in and remove that child from that situation. Even if the parent is proven to be completely stable, Social Services will continue to monitor the household," Neal explained, his tone calm and steady.

"I keep forgetting you have three Master's Degrees," Henry commented, pouting slightly.

Neal chuckled. "So what do you say we keep our lineage a secret until your Mom gets back, yea?"

Henry nodded in agreement. "Sounds fair."

Neal smiled as he pulled up in front of the school. Henry could do nothing but stare at the big brick building. "Wow," Henry whispered.

Neal smiled. "The school has been around since the Civil War. It's one of the oldest schools in New York. It is a private school so you'll definitely get a good education."

"How much does it cost?" Henry asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Nothing," Neal replied.

"What? There is no way a school this nice is free."

"Austin's paying for the entire thing."

Henry looked over at his dad. "What? Why?"

During the month that the two had had together, Neal had phoned Austin and told him the premise for the story Henry was working on. Austin had quickly latched onto the idea and Henry and Neal had set to work on creating a manuscript for the play. They had used Henry's book as a base for the tale, applying lines and using the narrative to create the stage movement for the play. It had taken a good two and a half weeks to complete but, when they were finished, Henry was very pleased with the outcome.

Neal smiled. "He can't legally pay you for the story, since you are still a minor but he can donate some money to pay for your schooling. It's all under the premise of giving you a good education, seeing as I am your 'adopted' father," he replied, using air quotes around the word 'adopted'.

"And he has the money to do that?" Henry asked as Neal parked the car out front.

Neal nodded. "He's been saving up the royalties that I refuse to take from the original clothing lines."

"You don't take all of the royalties?" Henry asked as he opened the car door. He climbed out and tried to straighten his uniform.

Neal walked around the car, Henry's school bag slung across his shoulder. He knelt down and straightened Henry's tie and quickly smoothed out any wrinkles in the dark gray sweater he was wearing. "I only take what will get me by, which is about 30% of what I would make if I took the whole thing."

"And what's 30%?" Henry asked, suddenly very curious.

Neal grinned. "About five grand a month."

"Holy cow," Henry whispered. "How much would you make a month if you didn't take that?"

Neal paused for a moment. "About 16 grand a month," he answered honestly.

Henry's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "And Austin sales that much clothing in a month?"

"In between industrial and private sales," Neal grinned.

"Private sales?"

"Austin sales the original clothing to private investors. If they buy the outfits, they have to sign a contract saying they will not try to reproduce anything since it is copyright protected. One of the original designs can sale for up to $10,000."

"Why so much?" Henry asked as Neal held the door open for him.

"Austin has only the best materials imported for me to use; the best silk from China, some rich dyes from India. The price of the outfits are rather on the expensive side but they make for the best quality. Besides, all of the original clothing I make is completely from scratch. I basically do everything but that's what makes the product such high quality. The majority of people, however, don't even know that it isn't Austin making the cloths and designs. I like to remain anonymous."

"And you learned all of this from Mr. Gold?" Henry asked quietly, mindful of the closed classroom doors.

Neal nodded. He still looked a little uncomfortable when the subject of his father was brought up. Neal wordlessly opened the door to the office and Henry was forced to drop the subject. Henry filed in quietly, his previous nerves suddenly coming back with a vengeance. He immediately latched onto Neal's arm. Neal looked down at him in surprise.

"Can we come back another day?" Henry asked, his voice shaking a little.

Neal raised an eyebrow in surprise. Henry had been excited for the past week at the idea of going back to school and being around children his own age. Neal knit his eyebrows together in confusion. He guided Henry to one of the chairs in the waiting area and knelt down in front of him.

"What's wrong, Henry?" Neal asked, his voice soft.

"I just think we should come back another time," Henry replied quickly. "I'm not feeling so well."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Rule Number One, Henry," he replied gently.

Henry dropped his gaze and stared down at his hands. "What if you don't come back?" he whispered. "What if I never see you again after you leave?"

Neal felt his heart break as he watched the apprehension that crossed Henry's face. He knew that look. It reflected back at him every day for the past eighteen years (plus about 300 in Neverland). He placed a hands on Henry's shoulder and used the other one to lift his chin up.

"Nothing is going to happen to make me leave you again," Neal replied, his voice full of honest. "I'm not making the same mistake I made thirteen years ago. And nothing is going to change my mind this time around."

Henry sat there for a moment, looking into his dad's eyes. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his dad's neck and fought back against the tears that were trying to fall. He took a couple of deep breathes as Neal's arms wrapped around him, holding him close. Neal gently rubbed his hand up and down Henry's back, quietly listening to his son's breathing. Even though he didn't get them often, Henry did occasionally have panic attacks that came out of nowhere.

"You alright?" Neal whispered.

Henry nodded and choked back a watery laugh. He pulled back and wiped his face with the tissue Neal offered him. His face turned a little red, suddenly embarrassed about breaking down the way he had.

"How about we make a deal," Neal said quietly. "Stay at least the first three periods and, if you are still feeling really off or you feel like you are about to have another panic attack, call me. I've explained the situation about your panic attacks to Abby and she has informed all of your teachers." Neal reached into his back pocket and handed Henry his emergency cell phone that Neal had purchased the week after Henry moved in with him. "Remember, emergencies only."

"But a panic attack isn't an emergency," Henry countered.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "It's considered an emotional emergency," Neal continued. "Call me if you still feel really uncomfortable. I'll pick you up."

Henry smiled and took the phone. "Deal," he agreed. "Did you put your new number in here?"

Neal nodded, mentally cringing at all of the people he had to still contact to give his new number to. While they had been at the vacation home in Maine, Neal had accidently dropped his phone into the little lake while he and Henry had been fishing. It miffed Neal a little, since he had had that phone number for years, since before he had met Emma. The phone wasn't old but the number was and it had carried him through the years.

"Earth to Dad," Henry said, gently knocking on his Dad's forehead. "Did some Daleks come and take your mind away?"

Neal grinned and ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "No, no Daleks. Just some small thoughts. Be glad they weren't Angels. This _is_ Manhattan."

"Dad!" Henry whined. The Angels were his _least_ favorite villain from _Doctor Who_.

"Come on," he said, helping Henry to his feet. "Let's go talk to Abby."

~ONCEUPONATIME~

 _Late October 2016 Manhattan- Two Years Later_

"Dad!" Henry yelled as he ran down the stairs. "Your phone is ringing. Again. Have you seen my tie?"

"Your tie is where it was last night when I told you to pick it up," Neal reprimanded, looking over his sketches and list of clothing one more time.

"Dad!" Henry whined. "We're going to be late! And your phone is still ringing!"

Neal sighed and grabbed his phone. "The show doesn't start for another three hours. And it's the last night of the show. ."

"But you said you wanted to get there early to make sure all of the costumes were perfect and I want to get there just in case the actors have any question," came Henry's reply as he ran around the kitchen, searching through drawers.

"It's on the coffee table, where you dropped it last night when we came in. And if the actors don't know their lines by now, then they shouldn't be in the show," Neal replied.

Henry darted into the living room, yelling his thanks, choosing to ignore Neal's last comment. He quickly grabbed his tie and darted up the stairs, making sure he didn't leave anything important. Neal shook his head and swiped the front of his screen, answering his phone.

"Hello," he answered, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

" _Bailey, boy!"_ a voice yelled from the other end.

"Jesus Christ, Austin," Neal hissed as he rubbed his sore ear. "Are you trying to make me deaf? And how many times do I have to ask you _not_ to call me Bailey."

Austin laughed on the other end. _"No. Just trying to make sure you can hear me perfectly fine. To answer your second question, I will call you by your real name whenever you tell me what Bae is short for."_

"I hear you," Neal replied. " _Loud_ and clear. And not a snowballs chance in hell will you learn what Bae is short for. I am not letting you get me drunk again," he griped.

Austin laughed again. _"I hope you aren't like this for the show."_

Neal rolled his eyes. "Of course not. What are you calling for anyways?"

Austin was quiet for a moment. _"I've had a couple of people check all of the reservation names but there is no one registered under the last names Swan, Mills, Blanchard, or Nolan."_

Neal sighed. "If they've heard of it, they will come. Just let the attendants at the box office know to ask for names before selling any tickets. How many did you put back?"

" _I had Julia put back about six VIP and backstage passes,"_ Austin replied. _"Julia said she would man the area until right before the curtain raises. Are you even sure these people will show?"_

"If I know Emma like I do, she'll try to find Henry. The last record of him before the adoption was at a foster home near the theater. She's bound to pass the theater."

" _How do you know she will even stop?"_

Neal chuckled. "Henry said his grandmother, Emma's mom, was the one who used to tell him fairytales. Henry told Emma all about the story he made up. She'll stop, I assure you." _Or rather, Snow White will, considering the fact that the show poster looks just like her._

" _Did you show Julia pictures?"_

Neal hummed. "I showed her a picture of Emma. Of course, it was when we were younger. That's the only one I've got."

Austin hummed in response then was quiet for a moment. _"How's Henry doing?"_ he asked quietly.

Neal frowned. "He's been busy trying to get the show together. A lot of the actors are having a hard time channeling the characters, since they are different from the original stories and from the Disney representations."

Austin cleared his throat. _"I meant with… It has been a year since_ that _happened."_

Neal felt his throat close up and exhaled slowly through his nose, his mind mentally replaying the events that had nearly torn Henry and Neal apart, forever. He reached up and pressed his thumb and forefinger against his burning eyelids. He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and released it slowly. "He's doing just as well as anyone could expect. He still has really bad nightmares."

" _I would be worried if he didn't,"_ Austin replied honestly. _"I might not have the advanced major in Child Psych that you do but even I know that the situation he was in is bound to give even the hardest of people night terrors."_ Austin paused for a moment. _"How are you faring?"_

Neal thought for a moment. "Alright, I guess. Even though I have been a nervous wreck for the past year."

" _The security system still working well?"_

Neal nodded before remembering he was talking on the phone. "Yea," he replied. "They still haven't caught him?"

" _No. It's like he completely disappeared. I've arranged for the NYPD to act as security throughout the show. All of the guests' bags are being checked and the police have a description and picture of him."_ Austin was quiet for a minute. _"Do you think he will show?"_

Neal sighed. "I don't know. He was heavily involved with the show before everything happened. I wouldn't put it passed him to try something."

Austin sighed. _"As long as you aren't just being a little paranoid."_

Neal smirked. "I've been through too much to be 'a little paranoid'," he replied. "Besides, my instincts are telling me he'll try something if we don't tighten security."

" _As long as you are sure,"_ Austin replied as Henry walked back into the kitchen, feverously trying to get his tie to cooperate.

Neal snickered at Henry's attempts. "I'll let you go, Austin. I need to save me son from the disaster that is known as a bow tie."

"Ha ha," Henry mocked. "Very funny, Dad."

Neal grinned at his son and said goodbye to Austin. He walked over to Henry and began to expertly tie the dark blue bow tie around his son's neck. "This is what happens when you insist on getting a bow tie and refuse to let me show you how to tie it. Why you thought you could learn from YouTube videos, I will never know."

"Bow ties are cool, Dad," Henry countered, giving his dad a look that _dared_ him to argue.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Are you quoting the Eleventh Doctor?" Neal asked rhetorically, knowing the answer to his question.

Henry simply gave him a look before he grabbed his bag that contained all of his notes. "I'm going to wait by the door. Maybe that will give you _some_ incentive to finish getting ready."

Neal snickered as he watched his son run out the door. The smile slipped from his face as his mind drifted back to that night, one year ago. Neal closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, trying to rid himself of the phantom smell of blood that suddenly assaulted his senses. He bowed his head, his hands resting on the granite countertop. He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly to try and dispel the images that were appearing in his mind's eye. As soon as it got to the point of where he couldn't take it anymore, a sharp tapping sound startled him. His head shot up, his instincts that he had gotten from his years on Neverland kicking in. He scanned the room and his eyes came to rest on a small white dove, sitting just behind the window pane. The dove stared at him before cocking its head to the side.

"Damn bird," Neal cursed, wiping the sweat that had gathered on his brow. He walked over and wordlessly opened the window. The dove hopped in and kicked something off its foot before flying back out the window. Neal frowned and quickly picked the paper up. His heart skipped a beat as he took in the words on the front of the postcard: _Greetings from Storybrook, Maine._

 _August 2013 The Enchanted Forest_

Emma landed hard on her feet, her knees giving out from underneath her. She landed on her butt, the dress that she was suddenly wearing tangled up in her legs. She looked around, taking in the smell of the evergreen trees and the feel of the cool breeze around her.

"Ow," she muttered. "Are you alright, Henry?" she asked as she looked over. Her blood ran cold as she saw the spot that her son had last been completely empty. She stood quickly, trying not to trip over her dress. "Henry?!"

"Emma?"

Emma turned and saw her mother standing there, her hair long and tumbling in waves over her shoulders, completely dressed in white. Emma looked next to her, staring at her father, who was clad in dark brown leather pants and a white bloodstained shirt.

"Where's Henry?" Emma asked, her panic rising.

Snow's eyes widened. She looked around quickly for her grandson, trying to spot the boy. The curse had hit them all so quickly that Snow wasn't sure exactly where everyone was. "He's probably with Regina," Snow answered. "We'll find him."

"He's not with me," Regina replied, walking over to the three in a black and red outfit that was covered in feathers of matching colors.

"Where is he?" Emma asked, her voice turning desperate.

"He's not here."

Emma turned and felt her knees nearly give out. Standing a few feet away from her was a strange looking man with gold-flickering reptilian skin dressed in a dark grayish-green outfit made of leather. His hair was matted and wavy as his creepy eyes watched her intensely. It took her a moment to realize just who she was looking at.

"Gold?" she asked, her voice coming out as a squeak.

"The one and only," he relied in a creepy voice. "Though I prefer Rumpelstiltskin."

Emma suddenly felt very light-headed. As much as she believed in magic and fairy tales, actually seeing Gold as the Dark One was a little much.

"What do you mean Henry's not here?" Regina asked heatedly.

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes flickered over to her. "It rather simple. Henry was born in the Land Without Magic. The reversal of the curse wiped everything about Storybrook away, including all of us. However, since Henry wasn't born _here_ ," he emphasized, pointing to the ground, "the curse couldn't take him with us. It only brings those born of this world back."

Emma felt her blood freeze in her veins. Her throat seemed to close up as her eyes widened. "Are you saying that Henry is back there?" she asked, her voice quivering. "All by himself?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked around the large, quickly forming group, his eyes searching. Disappointment crossed his face before he turned to look back at Emma. "Yes," he replied coolly. "Henry is still in that realm."

 _November 2016 Storybrook_

Emma sighed heavily as she pushed her still silent phone away from her. She leaned back in her desk chair and ran a hand through her hair. She looked down when she felt someone tug lightly on her jacket. She smiled as she quickly scooped the two year old up, setting him in her lap.

"Hello there, little guy," Emma smiled, her little brother giggling as he played with the ends of her hair. She looked up and saw her mother and father standing in the doorway.

"He couldn't wait to see you," Snow White said as she walked in, pushing the stroller over to the side. "He completely adores you."

Emma laughed. "Like any two year old would admire his 33 year old sister," she teased. It had taken her a while but she had come to terms with the fact that she and her parents were very close in age. "What has little Graham been up to?" she cooed, causing her little brother to laugh.

"Making a mess of things," David answered with a smile. His face fell as little. "You sure you don't mind watching him? We can always reschedule our date."

Emma shook her head. "If you do that then you will never get any alone time. I'm not doing anything anyways. I'm still waiting for either Gold to let me know when he is finished with his potion or for a phone call."

Snow frowned. "He still hasn't called back?"

Emma shook her head. It had been about two weeks since she had sent the postcard to Neal by way of a dove. Gold had told her that the potion to retain their memories would take three months, since he didn't have all of the ingredients he needed. Emma had taken it upon herself to try and contact Neal. Since she didn't know his number (he hadn't answered when August called. The line had been disconnected.), Emma decided to take a leaf out of her parent's book. Gold had given her some fairy dust he had acquired, telling her to sprinkle it over the dove and focus on Neal's face. The magic would do the rest.

She had been very skeptical about whether or not the magic would work outside of Storybrook. This last month had been making her solidify that doubt. She wanted to find Neal. She had hit a dead end on finding Henry. Her son had been adopted and the files had been completely sealed. She couldn't just very well tell the officer that she was talking to that she was Henry's mother that had disappeared for three years. Instead, she had acted as a bail bonds woman name Ruth Morgan, calling to see if Henry Mills knew anything about his birth mothers whereabouts. Unfortunately, the only thing that could open the adoption file would be a court order from a state governor. She couldn't do anything from behind the barrier of Storybrook.

That was why she wanted to get in contact with Neal. She had left her phone number on the card with a message for him to call her. If she could get ahold of him, she could see if he could find Henry, starting in the last place he had been on record: Manhattan. She knew it was probably a stretch, and maybe Neal didn't want to see her, but she had a gut feeling that in order to find Henry, they needed to find Neal.

"Emma?" Snow asked, seeing her daughter's spaced expression.

Emma blinked before her face turned apologetic. "Sorry. I was thinking." She stood, picking her younger brother up as she went. "You to have a date. I suggest you get going."

Snow and David looked a little apprehensive but they complied nonetheless. Emma shook her head at her parents before she looked at her brother.

"They really need to learn to have a good time and not worry so much," Emma cooed, causing Graham to laugh. Anything that Emma said was hilarious, in Graham's opinion. She shook her head and buckled him into the stroller. He immediately began fussing.

"Don't start that," Emma said playfully. "I'm just getting your playpen out so I can get some work done."

Luckily, Graham decided not to throw his temper tantrum and waited rather patiently for his older sister to set the pen up. Before long, he was in the bottom, babbling happily as he played with the numerous amount of stuffed toys that his parents had showered him with. Emma smiled before looking back down at her paperwork. Her eyes drifted over to the phone, watching it for a moment like it was going to suddenly ring.

She sighed and focused her attention on her paperwork. The next two hours passed slowly. Graham continued to play in his pen until he tired himself out, falling asleep with his little behind in the air, a little blue teddy bear cuddled to his chest. Emma stretched as the clock hit nine. She sighed and closed the folder she had been working on. She was just about to stand when she heard two sets of feet shuffling in the hallway. She frowned. Her parents weren't due back for another hour. Who could possibly be in the station at this time of night?

Emma listened closely, hearing muffled speech through the closed door of her office. As if by reflex, Emma's hand venture down to her gun that was strapped to her waist. She spared a glance at her brother, who was still asleep before pushing the door open, walking into the area where the jail cells were. She heard the pair stop around the corner and a muttered exchange took place. She clenched her jaw, really hoping that it wasn't Zelena or Cora or both.

"It doesn't look like anyone is here," an older male voice said. Emma frowned, trying to place where it sounded familiar.

"Someone should be here," a younger male voice replied.

"I can hear you," Emma said loudly, not wanting to wake her brother up. "Why don't you show yourself?"

She heard one of the people laugh. "She doesn't beat around the bush, does she?"

"Are you stalling? Because it seems to me like you are stalling. Are you suddenly getting cold feet?" the younger voice asked, mimicking the sound of a chicken.

"You little Dalek," the other person commented teasingly.

Emma just raised an eyebrow. She was not amused, even with the _Doctor Who_ comment.

"We come in peace," the older person replied, their voice suddenly high pitched and squeaky sounding.

Emma sighed in frustration. She opened her mouth the demand they show themselves when the older person walked around the corner. Emma couldn't keep her eyes from widening or her knees from almost giving out. Never in a million years did she believe that Neal Cassidy would be standing in the police station of the little town called Storybrook.

And yet, there he was. He looked exactly as the dreamcatcher had shown. His dark brown hair was speckled with a little grey as his eyes practically reflected that goofy, warm grin on his face. He was dressed casually in dark blue jeans, a dark gray button-up shirt, and a black jacket with a black and dark purple scarf around his neck. He was watching her carefully, gauging her reaction.

"Neal?" she whispered, not quite sure if he was really there.

His grin softened a little, becoming almost wistful in nature. "Yea, it's me. Sorry I didn't call. We thought it would be easier just to drive up here. Granted, we did stop in Augusta because the drive from Manhattan is long."

Emma frowned. "'We'?" she asked, not really sure who Neal had brought to her little town.

Neal grinned and turned back towards the entrance to the office. "You can come in now, kid."

Emma frowned but didn't say anything. She froze when a young boy of about fifteen walked to stand next to Neal. He had a sheepish expression on his face and he had gotten taller. His hair was the exact same color as before, almost a carbon copy of Neal's. His eyes were warms and bright with tears. He was dressed in dark colors, much like his dad. The only difference was the fact that he was wearing the black and red scarf that Emma always saw him wearing. Even though she hadn't seen him in three years, Emma knew exactly who the teenager was.

"Henry?"

 **Author's Note: This chapter may seem a little long but the last 1000 words or so is actually a fan theory I wanted to present to my readers. It isn't something you have to read and it isn't needed to explain New Beginnings in any way. It is simple my theory on what COULD happen next season of OUaT based on events that have occurred and little bits of news that has been circulating about some possible characters.**

 **On another note, the story is not over. There is still two years' worth of memories to go through concerning Neal and Henry as well as three years for the people of the Enchanted Forest. We haven't even touched the surface of what Henry or Neal went through in those two years nor have we even begun to cover all that has happened in the Enchanted Forest.**

 **Please let me know what you think about the story thus far, particularly the setup of the chapters. This is the first time I have used such a format. I didn't want to just tell the story straight through: from Neal adopting Henry to the reunion that took place above. I wanted to show you, as the reader, how the characters have progressed from the different time periods. Thus, the chapter split setup of the story. Until next time, please read and review.**

OUaT Random Fan Theory- Season 6

Before I begin, this is nothing more than a theory that my overactive imagination has produced after reading information on the upcoming season. I am not saying any of this will happen or could happen. I just couldn't help writing it down once all of the little pieces connected in my head. Of course, this is just my view and opinion. I am not in any way trying to force it on others or downgrading anything else that others are theorizing. I ask that you do not reblog this with the intent of trying to tear my theory apart. Again, it is a FAN THEORY, based on everything I have seen over the course of the last few seasons. Please do not send me hate mail or messages just to make yourself feel better. I have seen some of the crazy things this fandom is capable of on Tumblr and Twitter and every other social media outlet when their feelings get pokes a little. This is not an attack on any of the ships. It is purely my own imagination connecting different things.

Ok, so this idea has been bugging me since they released the information about Morpheus. The writers describe him as, and I quote, "an old soul in a young body". Now, in Greek Mythology, Morpheus is the god of dreams. One of his powers is that he can appear as any person in someone's _dream_. And exactly who do we know that had a dream when the season first started? Emma. And in the dream/vision/whatever you want to call it, Emma saw Neal.

Now, either that may have been Morpheus disguised as Neal or it could just have been Neal. OR… and this may be a stretch but, what if Morpheus is Neal/Baelfire. Just hear me out for a moment.

In episode 5X12, Neal is seen telling Emma that he is someplace where he is happy. Not once does he say the words that he is in Olympus, or Heaven or whatever. It's the other characters that assume he is there, e.g. Rumple, Emma, Milah, etc. Neal says that he came to warn Emma not to go to the underworld. After Emma says that she can't stop, Neal says he figures, with a smile, and kisses her on the forehead. He then leaves by saying that he has always loved her and always will before he gets out of the car.

Here is something that has really been bugging me about that scene. Not bugging me in a bad way but bugging me in a way that feels like foreshadowing. Once Neal exits the car, he heads back towards the ride that can be seen behind him and Emma while they are in the car. If you look closely, you can see there is a sign that says Asylum hanging on the ride.

Now, I may be reading too much into this, but why would Neal walk TOWARDS the ride that is labels Asylum? If all of you Oncers can recall (please correct me if I am wrong, I haven't seen past Her Handsome Hero because I moved to a different country and haven't been able to watch the last episodes), in the last episode/season finale, isn't Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from an ASYLUM?

Back to Morpheus for a mo. The writers describe him as a person that is "an old soul in a young body". Now there are three people in the show that could be considered "old souls": Rumpelstiltskin, Killian Jones, and Neal/Baelfire. Rumpelstiltskin doesn't completely fit the description since he isn't young. Killian Jones/Captain Hook fits the profile but he is clearly in the story already, having just been reunited with Emma.

The only one, however, that isn't in the story thus far is Neal. Neal/Baelfire has been living for a very long time, ever since the Ogre Wars. He's lived through his father being the Dark One as well as having to live on Neverland for a very long time, which could actually be longer than the time in the Land Without Magic. In Second Star to the Right, Wendy comments that she had been there for a few days but only a night had passed for Baelfire, who had been sleeping, not even sure if Wendy would return. That's a different theory for a different time.

Another thing that the writers said about Morpheus was that he has a talent for reading people while also having his own hidden agenda. Now, having an agenda isn't necessarily a bad thing, nor does it mean that a person is trying to take over Storybrook or kill anyone. Having an agenda just means they have something planned. Morpheus could possibly be trying to take out Hyde or even be trying to work with the heroes. We don't know as of this point.

Back to the opening scene of 5x12. If Neal was really dead and is on Olympus, how in the world was he able to get in contact with Emma when she passed out? There are only two people in Greek Mythology that have the power to control sleep/dreams: Morpheus and his father Hypnos. Morpheus is the god of Dreams while his father Hypnos is the god of Sleep, whether it be intentional sleep or unconscious sleep such as passing out. Another thing, in Greek Mythology, Hades is the Lord/God of the Underworld. He isn't, however, the god of Death. That role falls to Thanatos, who also happens to be Hypnos's twin brother.

I know I keep jumping back and forth but please bear with me one more time. In Quiet Minds (3x15) Neal dies as a result of opening the Dark One's Vault. But what if he wasn't really dead but rather in a death-like slumber? In Greek Mythology, again, the mandrake can put its drinker into a death-like slumber. It could be possible that this happened to Neal or the combined forces of Thanatos and Hypnos saved him. As of this point, Eddie and Adam have yet to explain exactly how the Greek Gods exist. Are they actual gods? Or are they just people from the Enchanted Forest who have been effected by magic, somehow leading them to becoming gods? As of right now, I have no proof to prove or disprove this little bit of information. The only people we have seen from Greek Mythology are Hercules, Megara, Hades, and Zeus.

Not much is really known about them. It is quite possible that Neal somehow became a god either after he died or sometime in between the time he escaped Neverland and found Emma. Not much is known about Neal during that period, other than the fact that he stole some watches from a jeweler in Arizona. It is also entirely possible that Neal didn't even know that he had somehow become Morpheus.

Again, I could just be going out on a limb here but the amount of times Neal has been mentioned in the last season cannot just be random or have no purpose. Writers, myself included, tend to put different little hints throughout their chapters or storylines. Why would the writers of OUaT go for a whole season and a half, barely mentioning Neal then suddenly BAM! There are mentions of him everywhere, whether they be little, subtle accounts such as the dreamcatchers in the episode Dreamcatchers or calling him by either of his names, like when Emma and Regina go to Neal's old apartment. I'm sorry but this sudden input of foreshadowing and heavy mentioning of Neal seems to be suggesting that he could possibly be either appearing briefly or could be returning next season.

I hope you guess find this theory interesting. Please let me know what you think or if you have anything to add to this. Again, please do not reblog to disapprove this theory. If you have a different opinion, please feel free to message me in a CALMING manner and I will reply as soon as I can. Any hate messages will be deleted.


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